


Celeste

by stevegallacci



Category: Zootopia
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-07-30
Updated: 2018-04-15
Packaged: 2018-12-08 16:25:34
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 24,919
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11650338
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/stevegallacci/pseuds/stevegallacci
Summary: As Nick and Judy's relationship becomes normalized in the Hopps clan, others are willing to consider looking beyond their species for friendship and romance. So we have one of Judy's younger brothers, in his own way as unconventional as her, finding himself in a summer fling with a little coyote girl. As this started exactly parallel to Selaxes' "Sounds of the Heart", we decided to have some little cross-overs between the characters and their stories. I'd ever so strong recommend his story and the fun with yet another Hopps boy and predator girlfriend, this time a Finnish Fox.





	1. Chapter 1

Summer meant kids home from school, and Stu Hopps was delighted to see so many of the younger generation around the farm. Despite the boast that the hundreds of Hopps were his and his sweet Bonny's issue, the big numbers actually reflected the collective Hopps Clan's production, but that they tended to collect at his farm reinforced the impression. 

On the other hand, the random variation within his issue did cause some confusion to those outside the family. Differences in color, or in the case of some like Judy, a longer, leaner Hare-ish form as compared to the short rounder Rabbit form of which he was very much an example. 

Then there was the odd mix, like Jeremy, who was coming up to him. He had the long features of a hare but was a bit rabbity round as well. His character was a bit mixed as well, a very mild, gentile soul, but like his sister Judy, he was ambitious, though to be a doctor rather then her more unorthodox career in law enforcement.

Jeremy bounded up, "Dad, I met a girl in town today, and we're going out tomorrow night." 

"Wow, that's some fast work there Son. But you be careful. These Summertime flings can go out of control all too easily." Stu was delighted that the bookish boy was getting out.

"I know Dad. Just some dinner and pool. She's kind of a tomboy, likes guy stuff."

"Down to Paul's? Hope you don't plan to do much drinking." 

"No Dad. I remember what happened to Benny and Jason last year. Besides she doesn't drink."

"Well that's a welcome change. Half you boys seem to find gals that drink like fish and get you to do the same. That's where too many of your nieces and nephews have come from." Stu gave his Son a knowing nudge and the young Buck blushed. 

"You won't have to worry about that." The elder Rabbit noticed how the Youngster seemed to catch himself, not going further. But as he was not a suspicious soul, he didn't think too much of it. Jeremy was a good kid with big prospects, and wasn't about to do anything to jeopardize his future.

"So, what can you tell me about this girl?"

"Not much yet. She works down at Pablo's, a mechanic. That's how I met her. You know, when Jack and John brought the tractor in for the hydraulic work?" 

Stu didn't know of any mechanics who were rabbits at Pablo's shop. All larger mammals to do the heavy and often hard work, nor any of them girls. Maybe someone in back? Jeremy had already bounded off to brag to his brothers about his date before he could think of anything more to ask. No big thing, and he would, no doubt hear all too much later. Oh, to be that kind of young again.

Interestingly, Jeremy didn't talk all that much about his first date, nor the several over the next week. However, it was clear that he was over the Moon about her. While it was good to see the boy in such high spirits, he hoped it wasn't getting too serious. That the Boy also seemed to be avoiding him and not talking too much to the rest of the family was a little concerning, but he was content to wait.

Then he overheard some conversation down at the feed and seed. "What is with those Hopps? Getting all pervy with preds. Sure, anything goes in the Big City, 'Try everything'. But right here in town?" 

It was Gwen and Betty, always up for gossip and worse. Stu turned the corner and smiled innocently at the startled pair. "Ladies..." 

They knew they had been overheard, and were clearly embarrassed, but Betty just had to ask, "Stu, what is up with your Boy? I mean, with that -uh - Girl. I mean, going around like it was perfectly normal."

Stu cocked his head in puzzlement, "He's been dating a Girl, yes...?" 

"But THAT Girl! I mean...!" Betty was clearly upset but wasn't making herself clear. Gwen didn't help, only shaking her head in tight-lipped disapproval, leaving Stu no better informed than before. Maybe he should go down to Pablo's shop and meet the mystery Girl, who's name was Celeste.

Pablo ran the local tractor and farm equipment franchise in Bunny Burrow, as had his Father before him. The operation had the latest in fancy new equipment, but also prided itself in maintaining old, even vintage and antique machinery, as many of the families were very tradition-bound. So the lot was almost an open-air museum of farming implements spanning the better part of a century. 

Pablo himself was rather vintage, an elderly llama, a bit fuzzy around the edges, figuratively as much as literally, and his extended family actually ran most of the operation. He was still walking the lot and extolling the virtues of the various makes and models of hardware, whether or not there was a customer in audience. Stu caught him explaining the details of a 1955 Sturm and Drang combine to a 2001 mini garden tractor. 

"Pablo, you know that Plow Pony 20 could never make the payments on even a used SD 1200." 

The old Mammal chuckled, "True, but if it was ever in the market, I'm gonna make sure it can make an informed decision. So what can I do for you today, old Bunny?"

"Well, do you got a Girl working here, named Celeste? My Boy, Jeremy, the one studying to be a doctor, has been seeing her and I'd like to meet her." 

"Jeremy? The big boy? Glad to hear he's going somewhere. But Celeste? No trouble is there?"

"None that I know of. Just that he hasn't brought her around and a Father gets curious." 

"Yeah. Fathers." The two shared the thoughts of old males with large families. 

"I don't recall any Celeste in the front office."

"Jeremy said she was a mechanic."

"Well, Young Pablo is running the shop now so we'll have to ask him."

The service section for the shop was large, a half-dozen bays with various machinery in stages of repair with a fair number of mechanics around being very busy. Young Pablo was on the phone while beating on a computer while trying to point out the damage to a distributor cap to a young raccoon that was learning the trade over summer break from High School. "Hey Dad, Mr. Hops, bit busy, but what's up?"

"You got a Celeste working back here? Mr. Hopps would like to meet her."

The younger Llama gave his Father a look, "uh, Okay?" clearly not knowing what was up with that. "Paul! Is Celeste in number three? Can you send her up?" Paul, a rather large Black Bear, welcomed the opportunity to not have to look at the mess that used to be the final drive of a Springbok 70 grader and sauntered off to find the mystery Girl. A few moments later, he returned with her in a bouncing trot beside him. She was a tiny slip of a thing compared to the huge ursine, and even for her species she was a waif, and she was a Coyote. 

She saw Stu and froze, her ears and tail down in fearful shock. She collected herself, head down, shoulders hunched, tail between her legs, wringing her paws with a rag more in consternation than in an attempt to clean them. Paul didn't know what to make of the situation, but thought it better to get back to the mangled planetary gears. 

The two llamas were dumbfounded and Stu was a bit taken aback, though not as much as he would have been had he not had the experience of his Daughter and That Fox. 

Nicolas Wilde was still a rather tough matter to reconcile. Stu knew that he was a good guy, even for a Fox, and he had Judy's best interests at heart, even for a Fox, but, he was still a Fox. Every instinct still screamed in dread over the thought of the two of them together, even as he knew intellectually and even in his heart that they were a great couple together. Now, to see this new predator and the idea that one of his children was interested in her was a bit much.

On the other hand, she was a boney little thing; even for a Coyote she was scrawny, and tiny, though still head and shoulders taller than him. He realized he'd seen her in the shop before, assuming she was some little kit. But, even as a predator, her fearful approach made it clear that she was also a shy little girl. 

"Stu, this is Celeste Whitefoot." the younger Pablo introduced, "She's been with us for, what, two years. Great with hydraulics. Also good with sheet metal work and auxiliary equipment, small fiddly stuff. Does appliances and tinkery too." 

"And you must be Jeremy's Dad, Mr. Hopps." She gasped out a whisper, not daring to even glance up. Stu suddenly felt so sorry for the poor girl. She wasn't simply shy, but sounded terrified, as though about to be cruelly punished. As much as he might object to her, he couldn't stand to see her so upset. 

"Oh Little Lady! There's nothing to be afraid of. I'm just here to see who my Boy is all a-twitter about." 

"Thank you, Sir." Sounded less fear-choked, but she still kept her head down. "I don't want to cause any trouble for him, Jeremy. He has been very kind to me." 

There was something about that choice of word. Stu looked over to the Llamas, "Can I take her out for a break. We need to talk." They nodded and the elder Rabbit led the shy Coyote away.

\---------------------------

Bonny was in the kitchen, fussing over some odds and ends when Stu came in. She immediately saw his expression, "What's wrong?" 

"I saw Jeremy's Girl today." He sat down, dejected and so tired. 

"And??" Bonny was becoming troubled; Stu was not one to linger over bad news. He may fret, but never brood. 

"You know how caring, how gentile Jeremy has always been." 

Bonny gave her Husband a more studied look. True, Jeremy had always been a more sensitive boy, and his desire to be a caregiver, a Doctor no less, was hardly a surprise. But Stu's tone was almost disapproving. "Stu, what is it?"

"Like I said, I met the Girl. And I can see why he was attracted to her. Got no family around here, no real friends. And she's a bit unusual. Raised by a crazy uncle, so all she knows is how to be a mechanic- " a little incredulous snort, "And how to shoot pool, of all things." He got up and paced around the kitchen. "She doesn't have much education, but she is a reader. So all she does is work at Pablo's or hangs out at Paul's pool hall or the library."

"And Jeremy has hit it off with the lonely Girl? That sounds wonderful." Bonny saw there was a big 'but' to follow, if he would just get there, "And?"

"She isn't a bunny."

"oh?"

"Yeah." Stu rubbed the back of his neck and then pulled on an ear, clearly stalling. His Wife gave him the Look. "Okay, she's a Coyote. The tiniest little stick of a thing as I've ever seen."

"A Coyote?" Bonny said it almost as a foreign word. Preds in general weren't common in those parts to begin with, but a Coyote, she didn't even know if she'd ever seen one in the flesh.

"Like I said, she is a tiny thing, for a Coyote, still head and shoulders taller than Jeremy, but just a skinny twig, kind of scruffy grey-brown, white socks on all four feet. In fact, her name is Whitefoot."

"So, she was a lonely girl and he was a nice guy and they seem to have hit it off at that level to start. But I'm afraid they be falling into something more." He wrung his paws in worry. "And its not just because she's a Coyote. Well, yeah, that too. But she's so - ." He was clearly struggling for the right words; "I don't want to sound like a snob, me a farming Bunny, but she's so - unusual. Not the kind of thing that would make for a Doctor's Wife."

Bonny laughed out loud at that. "Silly Old Buck! Aren't you getting a bit ahead of yourself there? Sure, they may be falling into some kind of love now, but its summer. You know, hot days, warm nights, high spirits. He's a responsible boy and he'll be back to school in a couple months." What was her Husband thinking? 

For her part, Bonny was happy for her Son. He had been a bit hesitant around girls earlier, not wanting to come off as aggressive. Too nice for his own good in the over-heated teen dating scene. Now as a rather serious medical student he was simply too busy for much social time. She hoped this would simply be a sweet summer distraction. 

Stu considered his Wife's words. She was right; this was a completely harmless summertime fling. And, on a deeper level, the little Coyote Girl was no physical threat to the Big Bunny Boy. This will be fine.

So, the next couple weeks went without a problem. As Celeste had a full time job, Jeremy had all day to review his medical texts. Then, when they did meet up, it was never to the house, and as often as not away from more public areas of Bunny Burrow. Those in the know in the Hopps family, it was impossible to keep any kind of secret, knew that they were not off doing anything untoward, likely just talking. There was even the uncharitable grump of a few that though that Jeremy was wasting his time with this Coyote, both as she obviously wasn't marriage and next generation material, and, more crudely, wasn't 'getting any'. 

Then one day.

Stu went into one of the supply sheds to check on something, as he immediately forgot when he got inside and his nose noticed That Thing. Taking a date out to one of the sheds and making the most of the various hay or alfalfa bales for some intimate time was a long time, though not always well-regarded tradition, and He was not entirely surprised to get a whiff of some overnight activity. However, it was not bunny with bunny that he caught. 

Jeremy and Celeste had gone too far. Innocent dating was fine, and he could cope with the idea of a little - no - scratch that, the idea of them even kissing gave him the heebie-jeebies. But to - he wasn't even going to think that word. Even as he understood normal bunny passions, he was a simple soul in many ways and would have preferred the idea that his various Grandkits were found under cabbage leaves rather than an acknowledgement that his offspring Did Things. 

True, he and his sweet Bonny did things, but that was different, they were grown-ups and - No, he was simply having a hard time accepting that his little bundles of love were growing up. Being a parent and seeing kits grow up was hard. And facing up to a Son who had clearly gone over the line was going to be particularly difficult.

 

A bunch of the older Hopps children were out mending fences, and it was during a lunch break that John spoke up to Jeremy about what was on everyone's mind. "So, how was the yip yip yip?" 

Jeremy glanced around to a range of expectant faces, "You all know?"

Janice rolled her eyes, "Anyone within a mile with ears could hear it last night, and anyone with a nose will likely smell it in there today."

The big Buck pulled his ears over his face in embarrassment. "I was so not thinking!"

"So, what's it like?"

"She's a really sweet girl, and really innocent." Jeremy deeply blushed. "So, it was kind of an anatomy lesson that got out of hand."

"Playing Doctor for reals." There were some snerks with that.

"Oh come on. She's a really nice girl and we just - argh!" He flailed his arms in frustration.

Barney leered, "She couldn't have been That nice if -" Jeremy cut him off," And Saundra isn't so Nice either?! Cheese, at least pick up your condom wrappers after yourselves next time!" 

That shocked the whole crowd. Barney and Saundra had been going steady for a good while, and had made a point about pure and chaste their courtship had been so far. 

Jeremy all but shouted, "Okay everyone. It is a thing that happened. And, other than her species, it isn't so different than half the make outs you all have done." He gave everyone a challenging look, knowing all too well too many of the little secrets of their love lives. "All I ask is that, if you do meet her, don't get all 'nudge nudge, wink wink' with her. She's Really Shy, and it would just kill her."

He saw his Father in the distance, and knew what he was coming for. "Well, there's Dad, so I guess he knows too. Just be cool, you guys."

He trotted out to meet Stu, who was visibly angry, a very rare sight. He hung his head, his ears dramatically drooping, "Hi, Dad."

"You know why I'm here!"

"Yes, Dad."

"And why I'm so angry."

"Yes, Dad."

"And what are you going to do about it?"

"I really don't know, Dad."

"What?" The Elder Rabbit was not prepared for that. In fact, he did not really have a plan of action; he was simply very upset and needed to confront his Son about it.

"It's not like I planned to do it in the first place. And I don't know if we'll ever do it again. But I'm not about to just dump her." the young Buck flailed his arms in frustration. "Dad, you taught me to be better than that."

Stu flinched at that. The Boy was right. Responsibility had been among the corner-stone values he had hoped to instill in all his children, and as much as he might be loath to admit it, this needed to be worked out, not cut off. 

Jeremy calmed down a bit. "Dad, even before, we had pretty much talked out how our relationship was going. That's why I haven't brought her to meet the family. That would imply that she would have some future here, and neither of us think that is going to happen."

The elder Hopps could see that his Son might have hoped for more. He knew the Boy had been lonely, and seeing the various happy couples of his generation around him didn't help. "Oh, Son. While I'm still vexed that you'd go off behind the bales with anyone- sigh - especially a - non-rabbit - I'm mainly just worried about your welfare and future. You know that?"

"I know. But all this has been so, I dunno, complicated. It's not like we're all in-heat crazy or anything like that. We just really enjoy each other's company. Took it a bit too far last night. But even then it was - friendly."

Stu suddenly recalled something Judy had said about her relationship with That Fox. Nothing in how they interacted was taken for granted. They had to take into consideration how the very different details of the two species worked and that in being conscientious of each other, the quality, the depth of their relationship was all the better for it. If the Boy was exercising similar care in his time with The Coyote, then he likely had a deeper emotional investment than he was letting on, or perhaps realized. Other thoughts came to mind as well.

"Son. Why don't you bring Celeste around to meet the family? If nothing else the little ones will have another fluffy tail to play with." Along with the general novelty of That Fox, the Kits were particularly fascinated with his great brush of a tail whenever he came to visit, and hers was at least as big. And, he grudgingly admitted to himself, the best way of getting over species prejudice was to turn a stranger into a friend.

\------------

"So, remember that the little ones need to ask before they can attack you." Jeremy was briefing Celeste as he drove her to the Hopps compound. 

"You make them sound like land piranhas." She chuckled, the high coyote yip in it made Jeremy smile all the more. She was looking lovely today. Freshly bathed, her coat was particularly fluffy, and in her tight T-shirt and jeans, the poofed fur on her head and neck in contrast made her look like a dandelion head. And her huge brush of a tail was going to be a particular hit with the likely avalanche of little bunnies. 

"Well, by the end of the day, you might notice some similarities. Especially as some of the really small ones might be teething, so watch your ears."

Jeremy was delighted with the opportunity to have Celeste meet the family, even with some of the implications it might raise. They had talked through a lot of that, and they had admitted that their relationship might be a bit more than a simple summer romance. But how much more? Would they, or even could they be a couple for a longer haul? Or even permanent? 

Well, as they could talk about it rather honestly, they were not too worried about things getting too crazy. And in the end, they'd just have to see how it would play out.

The main house came up all too quick, but as they had not announced a particular arrival time, there was no welcoming crowd. The pair entered through one of the side doors into a mudroom, currently empty in the dry warm summer, though Celeste was impressed with the size of the room and number of various hooks and shelves for boots and gear.

"In Winter, everyone comes in through here to get their wet or snowy gear off, and during early planting, we have some pretty big and awfully muddy work parties that need to strip down." The large shower room adjacent attested to that as he showed her though.

They made their way to the kitchen, for a refreshment and maybe to find some family. There was only Rob, one of the teens, with headphones on and working a hand-held game of some kind. He regarded the mystery Coyote with a quick top to bottom take and a vague shrug and was back to his game.

"He's totally hooked on those. And too cool to be impressed with anything." Jeremy explained, and Celeste gave a knowing nod.

However, as soon as they left, they could hear the youngster loudly whisper down the other way, "OMG! JayJay brought the Coyote! Betty! Brad! JoeJoe! She's here!" As they made their way to the center of the house, they were surrounded by similar too obvious whispers and calls about the special guest, though not actually running into anyone in the process.

By the time they did get to the central living room of the house, it seemed like half the clan was hovering around the periphery or in the various halls leading into the rather substantial volume. 

While Celeste was trying to take in the scope of the room, she was also looking at all the rabbits who were looking at her with a wide range of expressions. While she wanted to give a good first impression to the various adults, she also noted a fair number of rather young and very excited bunnies, eager to get at the Fluffy One. 

"Okay, everyone. This is Celeste." Jeremy introduced here to the crowd, "She is a very nice girl, who happens to be a Coyote. So be nice. And, like with Uncle Nick, you little one be polite." 

And with that the mass of rabbits converged on the pair. There was a melee of introductions and various greetings. While the occasional Fox was hardly a novelty in the neighborhood, Celeste as a Coyote was a rare and exotic thing to the Tri Burrows, to them like a slightly weird half-size wolf. 

To the more maternal members of the crush, she was obviously way too skinny, and would need some proper feeding, even if she were a predator. To others, she was a puzzle, as she had no obvious feminine aesthetics to attract, and even as a slight girl of a thing, was still a predator, and ought to provoke some level of instinctual fear. 

But she didn't. 

Instead, her shy innocence encouraged a welcoming, even protective impulse. Jeremy sense that and was relieved that this was not going to be a disaster. And for her part, Celeste was kind of overwhelmed with the crowd, and found she had to sit down on one of the many oversize couches that ringed the center of the floor space. 

That seemed to signal a wave of little ones to converge on her. They did have the restraint to pause, waiting for a sign of approach. She saw the collective desire and gave a nod. Instantly she was all but covered in bunnies. To help alleviate the swarm, several other adults sat down too. The youngsters were as much keen on swarming on any adult who would have them, as much as The Fluffy One, and were able deflect the full weight of Kits. 

Even in the crush, Celeste was able to continue to chat with various Rabbits while still giving the various kits little dabs of attention. And her little laughs, high coyote yips, had the youngsters squealing in delight. 

Jeremy and a few of the elder kin stood off to the side, watching the mayhem. "Well, for a no good, low down, dirty varmint, she's kind of adorable." Jeremy smiled at the good-natured jibe. This was working out so much better than he feared. He saw his Father work his way over to him.

"Seems the rest of the family has taken to the Girl." Stu observed. 

"Thanks for asking her in, Dad." 

"Well, I kind of figured she was going to be special, so we all needed to get started getting used to her."


	2. Chapter 2

"There you are!" Jeremy was picking up Celeste for a date, well, a 'let's hang out after hours' thing. And there she was, cute as ever. As she started to climb into the pick up, she recoiled away, waving at her face.

"Cheese! What's with the fox funk?" She made a sour face, then paused. She then made a wary little sniff in the direction of the truck cab. Her face fell to dismay. 

"What's wrong?" Jeremy knew Bailey and his Fox girlfriend Riina had used the truck over the weekend and he had noticed a residual pong from the pair, but didn't think much of it. If anything, he was happy for his younger Brother in his whirlwind romance. 

But whatever it was, Celeste clearly wasn't happy, almost to tears, "Let's just go to the lookout."

The lookout was their choice spot in the rolling hills overlooking Bunnyburrow, not as dramatic as some more formal 'lookouts', but an intimate little clearing with a view of the Hopps farm and the town beyond.

Celeste jumped in the pick-up bed and huddled behind the cab, clearly disinclined to get in with him or explain, leaving Jeremy to drive alone. This was bad. She had been so reliably up beat in the time he'd known her. Maybe a little solemn when they talked about deep or personal subjects, but never so wretchedly upset. He kept glancing in his mirrors to see how she was doing, just a forlorn stare out into nowhere. 

He cranked down all the windows, opened all the vents, and turned the blower fan to max. All he could smell as a vague foxy musk and a touch of Bunny. Best not to pay much attention to that, as it likely included a Sister or two. And in the glove box... no. Then under the seat. Yes. A can of scent-away. A brand new and unused can, thank goodness. He ran through nearly half of it, spraying down all the interior, though with some due care, as he was also going down the county main route. After giving the seat an extra dousing, including under his butt and a bit all over himself, just to be sure, he stuffed what was left back under the seat. Too late for this leg of the trip, but ought to make the return more tolerable.

They arrived in short order, Celeste jumping out of the back even before the truck had halted, walking some distance away, conspicuously up-wind. Jeremy approached her, arms outstretched, offering a hug or asking for an explanation. She turned to him, gave him a sad little smile and rushed into his arms. She was nearly a head taller than the Hare, so was able to give him a little nuzzle between his ears while gripping him in a desperate embrace. 

"You know your Brother is Mated to the Fox?"

Jeremy immediately caught the capital 'M' in that, as well as her continuing reference to Riina, the platinum Vixen, as only 'the Fox'. 

"Are you sure about being Mated? They're both still just kids." Jeremy had already done an over-view section on pair bonding among the species in Med School and realized that this was a significant thing. Especially for the mate-for-life aspect in Foxes.

"I've got a good nose, and that particular scent is too distinctive to miss." She sighed and shifted her grip. After a pause, "Do you regret we don't have a more intense...?" 

"Not really. After all the stress of school, having the summer off to relax, then finding pleasant company to relax with... " Jeremy considered a moment, "Do you want more?"

"My life has been all about diminished expectations. So I've been grateful for whatever I can get." She immediately regretted saying that with the pained look in her friend's eyes. "It's just everything is about over-the-top romance or crazy-wild lust. And here we are kind of just idling along." She wrung her hands. "I like idling along. Really. This summer has been wonderful with you. But...?"

Jeremy chuckled. "Sounds like Judy. Early on with Nick, she was all twisted up about how she could never be more/better/different like a Vixen could for him. They'd been friends and partners for, I guess a couple years, before they became more than just friends, and didn't get Mated for, I dunno, another year or so after that."

"I guess my real point is that I'm really happy with how things have been going so far. Not really worried about anything, especially some arbitrary timetable, but the quality of your time with me now." 

"I guess I am too." She didn't really want to think about the future. Beyond the practical unknowns, they had already talked about how iffy a truly long-term relationship might be. He would be back in school and unable to give her any quality time, and she had her job, such as it was. She liked it and was good at it. Would she be doing it for the rest of her life? 

The rest of her life was so big and so far away still. The two years at Pablo's was the longest she'd ever been at one place doing one thing, and the idea of permanence was still largely foreign to her. But at the same time, living solely in the moment felt a bit precarious. What might happen next? She had always had a plan B or at least an exist strategy and the confidence to make a new beginning. 

But that had been all about taking care of herself. Now she found herself entwined with another who's welfare was important to her. Another unfamiliar situation. For the moment, all she had was the confidence that she would do her best for him and for the time being. 

Jeremy was relieved to see his little Coyote finally relax, and knew how to get her to relax even more. He gave her a little scritch, a code for 'how about some serious grooming?' 

She responded back with a little code of her own 'and a little more'.

\---

"Dad. Relationships are hard." 

Stu, still trying to sort out how wildly out of control Bailey's romance with Riina had gone, could only laugh at the notion of how slight Jeremy's situation had gone in contrast. "Sorry Son, but these hits just keep on coming." Collecting himself a bit more, "Yes, relationships can get complicated. Trouble in paradise?"

Jeremy had to chuckle too, "Not all that much. Celeste was just worried about how things were going. Especially compared to Bailey."

"I know. I know a lot of Bunnies start pairing off at that age, but that level of commitment is a bit of a shock." The elder Rabbit shook his head. "But her Father explained that it wasn't all that unusual for foxes, especially in their home country. But, on the other hand, you have Nick and Judy. Though, to be honest, I suspect they were Mated long before they realized it. Certainly your Mother saw it back early on when Judy got hurt in the line of duty. And they still only saw themselves as police partners."

"But you and Celeste. Sort of the opposite, I take it?"

"Yeah. But at the same time, we're both cool about just being friends." 

"Just friends?" Stu didn't need to remind his Son about that time in the shed, and a nose-full a time or two since then. 

The younger Hare blushed. "That's the thing. Yeah, we do stuff together, but it isn't lovey-dovey or rutting lust. Its just two friends enjoying..." 

The old Rabbit smiled. "Did you know your Aunt Roberta and Uncle Billy-Two-Tone were just friend friends for like eight years before becoming - uhm - intimate. Then were like that for another four years before getting married? And I don't think they've ever used the word 'mated' to describe their relationship." 

Jeremy had to stop and consider that for a moment. Of all the more senior members of the Hopps clan, those two could be regarded as among the most 'mated'. Though not for much in obvious displays of affection as much as how matched, how synchronized they were in their lives together. The notion of friends becoming life partners had not occurred to him. Not that he and Celeste were anywhere near that level. He considered some wider aspects of all this. 

"We're such a weird family. And not just for all this pred stuff." Jeremy not quite chuckled, "How we've become so, I dunno, empathetic."

"And that's a - ah - good thing?"

"Gosh yes, Dad. Half the mammals I meet are selfish, oblivious jerks who don't know and don't care about anything but themselves. And here we are, all sweating bullets about the well-being of friends and family and even near-strangers." 

Stu lost a bit of his joviality with that. "Not everyone in the family, and not always." He still deeply regretted how unthinkingly bigoted he had been even a few years ago. And while some of the oldsters were to be somewhat forgiven for being very much products of less enlightened times, just last year there had been an ugly scene with Judy and several of her sisters that had gone so far as to estrange Young Jackie from the Hopps clan. 

"But I'm glad enough of you are as caring as your Mother and I hoped you'd be." Stu considered the tragedy that more other folks were not so inclined. He was still nursing some damage from his nasty fight with Alvin and his friends over his offsprings' life choices. It wasn't so much that they had not adapted to the changing times as much as they so lacked any sympathy, any tolerance for anything that didn't comply to their narrow views. And worse, their children were no better, and he despaired for the future with such uncompassionate folk in it. 

\---

So she was a grown up Coyote. Paul had though her just someone's Cub, though stupidly didn't notice she'd been there for two years. And she was a cute little thing too. But now she was going out with someone else. A Rabbit, he'd been told. How weird was that? Didn't think she was a prey-chaser. Well, he didn't realize she was an adult either. He had to blame the Diesel and solvents; the hottest she-wolf in season could be missed in the fumy miasma of the shop. 

Thinking of which, Saturday night was coming up with a full paycheck and no one to spend it. The Tri-burrows had plenty of work for a mechanic, that's why he came all the way out here, but a shortage of wolves, certainly single she-wolves. Coyotes were a reasonable alternative; his Brother was mated to one and some lovely crosses with her. But, other than Celeste, he didn't know of any Coyotes at all in the area. 

With a pack of handsome Wolves working here, why would she go out with a Rabbit? Maybe that they collectively missed the point? And for so long? Even though her friend was a rabbit, he had to respect her choice. Not that he could challenge him for access. If he had been another Wolf, maybe. But not outside Wolf country. Different rules. On the other hand, she didn't have to agree even he did. 

Maybe he'd go with the rest of the pack into the city for some times. It seemed a little sorted, he was raised rather conservatively and mate-for-the-night type activity was frowned upon. But, it was a thing that could be done. 

But the more he thought about things, the more he noticed her, which made him think more about things.


	3. Chapter 3

-With the cross-over character of the stories, you may want to read chapter 10 of "Sounds of the Heart" to catch some of the details, but there's enough here to follow the key issues.-

Well, so much for the vaunted Carrot Festival, between Jeremy and the Fox.

Celeste had enough frustration for the day and headed back to the boarding house where she kept a room. When she arrived, she was intercepted by the landlady, an old Javelina named Joan, who shrewdly detected her emotion.

"So, left the festival on a down note?" 

The little Coyote muttered somewhere between a growl and whine in her vexation. "What's it with males? Or is it just me?"

"Uhm, boy trouble." The little pig sighed, "Come and tell the ladies all about it." The ladies being most of the other residents, retired older females who spent their evening discussing thing great and small over tea (or something stronger) and cookies (or something more substantial). Tonight was chips and salsa with imported beers. 

They all knew each other as they often did a meal or two together but they hadn't previously socialized much beyond that. Celeste was sat down in the midst of them and became the center of attention. 

"So, what's the problem with your Buck?" Joan prompted. 

"Well, you know Jeremy and I've been friends for a while now, and we get along really well. But..." She groped for the right words, "It isn't exactly romantic." 

Frieda, the silver she-wolf gave her a skeptical eye, "But it has been - close, eh?" And several of the other ladies gave a knowing look. There were too many acute noses to hide her grooming and more intimate activities with the young Buck. 

Celeste was torn to discuss these kinds of things, especially to these elder women. She never had a mother figure and in her limited contact with female adults she found they tended to be distant and judgmental. But this clutch of elders seemed genuinely interested and supportive, well mostly. 

"Yeah, we've been close, but it has been so - friendly."

Gertie, the Ewe, snorted at that. She tended to get a bit moralizing, and had previously made it clear about what she thought about pre-marital sex. Her reproach was about to shut the shy little Coyote down when Martha, a Hare, spoke up. "Gertrude, I know YOUR history all too well, so give the pup a break." Turning to Celeste, "We're here to help you in the here and now, not in the abstract or idealized." 

She reached out to take the girl's paw in her own. "You can tell us anything," Quick side glance to Gertie to watch her tongue. "I though you and the Hopps boy were doing okay?"

"Yes. He's been so kind and gentle. We can talk about anything." A sad sigh, "Including our relationship, and how it isn't likely going to be permanent. Just a light summer thing. He'll be going back to Med School and all." 

There was a rather mixed reaction to that.

"But we both knew that, and it isn't really the problem, sort of." She sniffled, "I don't know if you heard that his little Brother Bailey got Mated to the Fox, The Kettu girl, the fox family that got the Jenkin's orchard."

"Mated?!" was the common exclamation. 

"Really Mated?" Frieda's tone was grave, and she turned to Martha for support, "That's - ?" 

Martha shrugged, "I suppose. Foxes Mate, sure, we all know that, but a bunny? It can happen, I guess." 

"Could it be a kind of feed back loop?" Clarice, another Ewe and former teacher chimed in. "The extra passions of one drive a higher level passion in the other?" 

"Who knows, but back to you, dear." Joan got things back on track, once Clarice and a couple of the other one were allowed to get going, they could happily divert a conversation for hours.

"Well, seeing the level of lovey-dovey in them kind of makes our thing look pretty weak." Celeste muttered. 

"And part of you wish you had more?" Joan pulled up closer to the sad little thing. 

"That too." And the Coyote's face suddenly scrunched up in self-reproach. "Oh, I've been - ." She collected herself. "I'm so sorry. I was with Jeremy today while he was organizing the Hopps booth at the fair. And he was really busy taking care of that and wasn't really paying me much attention. And Bailey and the Fox were there, all kissy and stuff."

Several of the ladies nodded in understanding. 

Karen, a rather regal looking black-tail doe asked. "The boy, what's his medical goals?" 

There was a collective 'huh?' at that.

Celeste was as surprised and puzzled at the sudden shift as the rest, but found an answer, "He wants to be a GP at Tri-burrow." 

"And I bet he's very sensitive, sympathetic to others, wants to help, make the world a better place, and all that?" 

"Yeah, exactly." 

"Uh huh, a Savior. I used to be in hospital administration, and they could be almost as bad as the surgery gods. Well, maybe not the worst of the surgery gods, as they could be raging narcissistic sociopaths." Karen picked up and worked on her beer for a moment to wet her whistle.

"The Saviors, at least the best of them, really do care about everyone in need, but often are so focused on those 'outside' in need that they miss it in those closest to them. But, I'll bet that your Jeremy simply still has his med school focus on. Gets into a task and everything else goes away."

"Yeah, I was just now realizing something like that." Celeste now felt a bit embarrassed, but there was a general round of understanding from the group. Then, after a couple rounds of nibbling and sipping

Frieda gave Celeste a studied look, "There's something else bothering you, and it's not about bunnies."

Celeste feigned ignorance.

"It was always 'The Fox' when you mentioned the girl friend." Frieda kind of liked the Coyote, but she had no love for specie-ism. 

Celeste made a face, both sour and pained. "Riina. She's a platinum fox, just gorgeous. Yes, I'm a bit jealous, who wouldn't be? But she's also a snob. The boys had us go off together to get to know each other better. Of course preds all just get along great." 

"So I'm there with her, dirt poor laborer, no family, no formal education, next to no friends, just a scruffy varmint of a coyote. And she's got a prosperous family and now, by extension, an even bigger family, about to graduate school, and as beautiful a canid as I've ever seen. And she knows it." 

"Did she say anything in particular to you?"

Celeste thought a moment and cringed, "Not exactly." 

"Uh huh." Frieda was getting a hint of things, "I heard they were pretty much fresh off the boat from overseas? As such, I could guess they might be a bit more status conscience. So, she might be a bitch, in the worst way, or she could simply have some different social priorities or even some cultural or communications issues?" 

The elder she-wolf sat down besides the young coyote, "And how much might have been your own projection? You're smart, but you're also young enough to go off half-cocked, eh?" 

Celeste really felt like a fool then. There was way too much truth in what was said. "I guess it might not be so terrible between us. Still, I can't help but be reminded of how little I have in contrast. But I can't hate her for that."

Later that night Celeste began to compose a letter

Riina

To be really honest, I don't know you. We've met, and likely had some first impressions. I do not know what yours were of me. My impressions of you were not so good. 

But as I think about it now, I don't know how much of my thoughts were about you or about me. 

I do not envy you your looks, your family, your loving life. To envy seems hostile, hateful. I do not hate anyone for their good fortune.

Instead, who you seem to be and what you have only makes me sad for myself. I have not had a bad life, I was never cold, or hungry, or really fearful. But I didn't have a loving family or a secure home. And now I have a job and I get by. But that is all I have and all I can hope for. 

If I avoid you in the future, it is not out of some anger at you, but my sadness in my life. 

Hoping all the best for you and yours

Celeste Whitefoot

 

She hoped that wasn't too awful.


	4. Chapter 4

There was the Hopps compound, and the fond memories there made it all the harder to approach. Fortunately it was still o'dark thirty in the morning and only the first of those up for chores would be around. No kits to attack the Fluffy One. One of the Does caught sight of her coming up to the main house and hailed her.

"Hello, dear. Next to no one is up yet I'm afraid. You here for Jeremy, or is it business, some repair work?" 

"Sort of neither, actually." Celeste struggled to keep a brave face. "I have a letter I'd like to get passed on to Riina, if that's possible?" And she held out an envelope, already a bit scrunched with her nervous handling. 

"Ah. Sure. They're at her folk's place overnight now, kind of rotate between the two houses." She gave a knowing smirk. 

Celeste smiled too, she could hardly imagine the level of passion the two had for each other, but was glad for them. 

"You want to stay for breakfast, see if your sleepy head is getting up?" 

The little Coyote frowned, "No. I can't do that. Got to get back, go to work." 

The Rabbit only then realized that she had walked all the way out from the 'Burrow. "Can I give you a ride back into town, at least?"

"Thank you no. I need the walk." 

Jenny didn't know canid behavior all that well, but even she could tell the slight thing that trudged away down the road was in miserable spirits and that oaf Brother of hers was likely responsible, at least in part. She rushed inside to roust him up and out. 

Jeremy was on the cusp of awake when he was assaulted by one of his least favorite sisters. Though to be fair, any sister that woke him up even a minute before he was ready, raging at him for innumerable crimes against Glob and Mammal, was going to be on his least favorite list. Which had now one very prominent member.

Celeste was here and didn't want to see him was bad. She didn't come back to the booth after leaving with Riina and all the drama with that crazy nipped-up Doe afterwards had left him distracted for a good while. It wasn't until nearly closing that she was missed. Initially, he had simply figured she had had enough of the fair and had called it a night, as she had a workday ahead of her. 

Then he recalled Bailey's warning and his own slight attentions to Celeste earlier. This could be very bad.

He got himself together and out the door and into one of the trucks in record time. And there she was, tail and ears very down, trudging down the side of the road. He pulled up beside her, "Use a lift?"

Celeste stopped and looked over to the anxious bunny. Trying to be politely neutral, "Thank you, but no." 

"Celeste, please! I'm worried about you!"

At that, the coyote's paws balled into fists and she hunched her shoulders in frustrated anger and despair. "That's not what was suppose to happen!" She came over and gripped the window edge of the truck's door, "This was suppose to be a fun little thing!" Her claws audibly grated on the steel, "A sweet summer and some fond memories. We shouldn't be 'worrying' about each other. I shouldn't be so needy, making demands of you." She tried to stifle a sob. 

She backed away from the truck, "You've only got a few days before you go back to school, and the last thing you need is my distraction." She began to walk back to town, "And I've got to get back to work." She took a few steps more then turned back to Jeremy, "And you take care of yourself! Please! Don't worry about me. I'll get by." 

Jeremy sat there in the truck for long minutes. The summer there with family, the anticipation of the festival, and the sweet distraction of the little Coyote, had let him forget that the 'harmless fling' was suppose to be wrapping up about now. A part of him wished he could go off into a romantic fantasy that would sweep her off her feet, dry her tears, and fill her life with all the joys her circumstance had deprived her of all these years. 

But how? Quixotic scenarios came and went, defer the year of med school, give up med school all together, take her with him in several variations. But while some bordered on not totally impossible, there was also the realization that she would likely see any of those as unreasonable sacrifices on his part for her. Her terrible self-image, her lack of self-worth, would undercut any gesture he might make. A tiny nasty bit in him even thought that he'd just dodged a bullet by loosing the basket case. 

And how devoted was he to her? Really? 

She was really fun to be with. And despite her self-doubts and lack of formal education, she was as intelligent as any mammal he'd ever met. Her eclectic reading habits alone were a wonder, and her little discussions on historic or literary esoterica were fascinating. Especially as he, like his older sister Judy, had been too focused on his career choice and had never afforded himself to read unrelated subjects simply for entertainment or curiosity. 

Then there were the more intimate aspects. They had been oh so tender and considerate of each other, be it just a comforting hug or in the most intense moments of lovemaking. And in that he preferred the euphemism, as it was never simply a mock procreative act, but a physical gesture of shared pleasure and comfort. 

And in that final thought, he asked himself if he really did love her? They were obviously very much not 'mated', not like Bailey and Riina, or the less biological yet still intense variations that others might share. But could he really call what they have shared so far 'love', and was he willing to give it up, end it? He had to admit that he wasn't brave or clear-headed enough to answer that question at the moment, especially now, as miserable as he felt in body and spirit. 

Chasing after her sounded good if this was some kind of romantic movie, but he knew her well enough that it would only make her more miserable and strengthen her resolve to stay disengaged. Maybe in a day or so, things might calm down a bit and, hopefully, he'd have some better answers for the both of them. 

Jenny saw the dejected young buck slump back in the house, dismayed that he was back so soon. "What happened?" 

"She didn't want a lift back to town." Was all he was willing to say for the moment.

He went to the kitchen to snag a bite, perhaps that would alleviate the knot in his gut. Predictably, his Mother caught sight of him and was quick to recognize something was very wrong. She signaled for him to go outside and take a walk with her.

"Is it Celeste?"

He could only nod his head. Bonny's heart ached for her Son. Though he was nearly a head taller and more robust that his Father, she still could not help but think of him as one of her little kits, especially with his face twisted in pain. "What can you tell me?"

"It wasn't supposed to go like this. Just friendly, casual, a little summer distraction." 

"Oh. And now you have deeper feelings for her. Your Father and I were afraid of something like that. That you'd find yourself in just this position, having to make these hard decisions."

"But I really don't know what to do. She doesn't want me to sacrifice my future for her, but how much of that is just her lack of self-worth talking? And I don't want to drag her through a long waiting game with the rest of my med school then internship and all. I wouldn't be there for her in more ways than one." 

Another thought came to mind as well, and he frowned at it. "And we're still young enough that things could change between us. I know that love is suppose to make everything right between a couple, but I've seen some whirl-wind romances turn into hate-ons and worse, even for some fully mated couples."

"And right now, she's really upset and I can't really talk to her." 

00000

Jeremy walked over to the Kettu home, the time and effort allowed him to clear his head a bit more. He knocked on the front door, not sure where anyone would be, but there was Mrs. Kettu to answer. 

"Ah, Jeremy Hopps. How may I help you?" 

"I have this letter for Riina. It's from my girlfriend, Celeste, the Coyote. I think they had some friction at the festival, entirely separate from the scene with that crazy rabbit girl."

"Oh, she didn't mention that. The incident with the girl was quite enough." 

"Yeah, I think she was on nip at the time. I was there for that and it was kind of awful." 

"But this friction, what might it be?" 

"Part of it might be that Celeste has some self-image insecurities. She and I don't have the same level of relationship as Your Riina and Bailey and that has depressed her." Jeremy rubbed his head, "I suspect, given her state this morning, that the letter might be an apology or some such. But I really don't know."


	5. Chapter 5

It seemed like for every high in life there was a low, as Stu Hopps considered his son's so divergent fortunes. Bailey and his rather unconventional yet delightful mating and Jeremy and his faltering relationship. 

Had it been only a few years ago, he would have been horrified at the former and relieved at the later, but the fates had other ideas and he didn't begrudge the changed perspective. If anything, he welcomed it, as he had come to recognize how narrow and shortsighted he'd been living his life before. 

But even with his broadened vision, he could not see any good way out for the heartbroken boy and the no doubt stricken little Coyote girl. But right now he had mildew in the pumpkin patch to deal with. 

Awfully early this year, but the weather had been just damp and still enough to encourage the infection. He didn't like using fancy chemistries, but maybe just a little sulfur solution might keep things at bay for a while. 

And a 'phone call to give him a little welcome distraction. He didn't recognize the number, but it was a local call. "Hello?"

"Hopps, one of your boys just cost me one of my best mechanics!" It was Pablo. 

"What are you talking about?" 

"Celeste. Says she's leaving the 'Burrows, maybe head on to the big city. She didn't say why, but I can still tell when a romance's gone sour." 

"I'm really sorry to hear that. My boy is really broken up about it already, and this will only make it worse." This was bad. Jeremy was already blaming himself for hurting the Girl, and the notion that he had chased her away from her home and job... "I don't suppose you have any ides on how to fix this?" 

Pablo snorted, "I wouldn't calling you if I had any ideas. But I've been able to stall her, won't give her final check until tomorrow, otherwise she'd be on her way already."

"Thanks for that. I'll see what I can do." But Stu didn't have a clue. Maybe his Sweet Bonny could help. She was the one who seemed to have all the answers of the heart in the family. 

Or maybe not, watching his Best Beloved flail her arms and clash her teeth in frustration. They were walking out of the house, away from delicate ears, as he explained the dilemma. 

"Stu, She doesn't deserve this! The poor girl has gone through so much already." She then realized another point and grimaced all the more, "Bailey and Riina. Jeremy isn't going to blame their happy union on his failure, I know Celeste was a bit down in the comparison early on, but I can see Bailey blaming himself now."

Stu groaned. He knew all too well how a single soured relationship could spread like an infection and spoil a whole crop. His own relationship with the Kettus was cordial, but too new to risk a major test, and he could also see the potential for factionalism within the Hopps clan over this too. Or so his over-stressed imagination allowed him to darkly fantasize. 

"And how well she got along with the little ones." Bonny recalled wistfully, "I could tell she really loved being with them. And they'll be heartbroken to hear that the Fluffy One has left." 

Stu suddenly had the germ of an idea, not one he entirely agreed with at the moment, but one worth pursuing. 

Of course, he had mulled it over a zillion times in the time it took to clean up and drive into the 'Burrows to the boarding house where Celeste had been staying. He still didn't have a solid plan, but hoped the intent would hold together. He was reminded of an old saying regarding military strategy, something about the best of plans falling apart when actually tested in combat, or some such. 

"Oh, its you," Joan sighed when she opened the door to the sad old Buck. "She's up stairs, last room on the right."

Stu knocked warily. 

"Who's that?" A sad little voice.

"Stu Hopps. Can I talk?"

A whine of frustration, then the door opened. The Coyote was so slumped that she was eye to eye with the Rabbit, and he saw all to well the red eyes and heavy tearstains. She motioned him in. She was in travel clothes, a duffle bag stood by the door, and a rumpled sheet covered an otherwise stripped mattress. The room was spotless and empty, ready for a new tenant. 

She sat on the edge of the bed and Stu sat in the one chair, he fidgeted a moment, then, catching his breath, began.

"Little lady, I was going to give you a song and dance, a kind of emotional blackmail, about how you shouldn't leave, and all the terrible things that would happen if you did. And I'd hope your sense of self-sacrificing responsibility would win out and you stay for all our sakes." 

Stu's face twisted in regret that he had even though of such a thing, and Celeste cocked her head in puzzlement. 

"Sure, I want you to stay for our sakes. Honestly, you've become important to us all. But..."

Stu paused to better collect himself, then, "I'm an old Buck, but when I was young, any big problem seemed like it would just swallow me up and never end. Looking even a year ahead seemed like an unknown forever. Them telling me that things would get better in time seemed like, how could they know, this goes on and on and how could I ever face the rest of my life with it." 

The Coyote frowned and Stu looked pained, he doubted he was really reaching her. He knew how resistant the certainty of youth could be to the advice of aged experience. 

"What I'm trying to say, in the end, is that you ought to stay for your own sake. It may really hurt right now, but running away means not learning how to get beyond that kind of thing." He feared this wasn't working, she seemed to be scowling, but at what?

"And you would really be leaving a big hole in things. It was Pablo who called me about you leaving that got me here in the first place. He's now pissed at me and mine for loosing you." Stu stopped right there. Take a breath. "I'm sorry, I didn't want to play any part of the guilt card on you like that."

He regrouped again, "But I do want you to know that you do have friends who want to be there for you, not as some kind of charity case, but as true friends who value and desire your company." 

He sat back and waited. 

Eventually he left, not knowing what was going to happen next. 

Stu was not much of a drinker and was very much not in the habit of getting drunk, but a couple hours later the bartender at Paul's had to call the Hopps household to get someone to recover their patriarch. As luck would have it, Jeremy was handy, and to be a pest, Jenny chose to come with him to drive Dad's truck back. 

"I don't remember the last time Dad ever got stinking in town." Jeremy marveled. 

"That's because he never did." Jenny gave her idiot brother her well-practiced stink-eye. "He was always too safe and practical to risk being that kind of vulnerable in public." 

"But why now?" 

She rolled her eyes. Then as she was about to let him have it with the revelation that it was likely about Celeste, she instead gave him a sad look. The poor boy had been emotionally self-flagellating himself ever since the terrible letter business, and for once, she was not going to kick him when he was so down. 

"Let's not worry about the whys for now, let's just get the old Buck home, eh?" 

They found him unconscious, face resting on a bar towel to pick up the drool from his gaping mouth. 

"Old guy seemed to just want to knock himself out, pounding down boilermakers. I first though he was buying rounds for a whole table of guys, otherwise I'd have cut him off sooner. Then when it came time to do something about him, it seemed like no one wanted to know who he was." 

Jeremy and Jenny shared looks, knowing that their Father's fight a while back was still all too fresh and contentious for his erstwhile peers. But that was bad news that could wait; right now they had to get the heavier-than-he-looked bunny home. It ended up easier to simply hoist him into the back of his own pick up, and Jenny was delighted with the prospect of delivering dozy Dad back home. 

Jeremy drove himself back, but not before stopping in front of the boarding house where Celeste lived. He parked outside, wishing he could go inside and tell her everything she might want to hear, everything she deserved. But he knew he could never deliver. His life was set, and it didn't accommodate that sweet pup. He didn't know why his Father had drunk himself into oblivion, but at that moment, understood the impulse. 

The next day, Stu did not wake up at the crack of dawn, nor did he get up for late breakfast, and was nearly pushing lunchtime when he did get up, but only to zombie walk to the bathroom. But he did stay up, and chugged several glasses of water before thinking of anything else. He shlumped to the kitchen for confirmation that he was still really alive. 

His Sweet Bonny gave him a sadly sympathetic look. "Yes, you survived, whether you wanted to or not." 

He gave her a ghost of a smile, his face hurt too much or was too numb, he wasn't quite sure which, for anything more. No rebuke, no complaint. Just a gentle bit of understanding. How lucky he was all those years ago. And remembered again the fates of his two sons. "Any news?" he croaked. 

"About?" Now his Sweet Bonny was being cruel. 

He whispered, "You know who. I tried to talk to her last night. Don't think it went very good." Then he noticed how much his head hurt. And how nasty his guts were. 

His Sweet Bonny recognized his discomfort and offered him some pills and weak tea. With honey. So soothing. 

As he recovered, he asked, "How's Jeremy?" 

"Out on the foggy moors, a solitary figure, brooding in regret, wrapped in grey on grey." 

"Oh dear. So, digging post holes or pulling stumps?" They were both never-ending tasks and the default job to work off what ailed a spirit. 

"I think he's threatening stumps later, but he's suppose to be packing. He's leaving tomorrow."

That stung as much as anything so far. He so hated to see his little kits leave for extended times. Every one of those who faired far seemed to take a bite out of his heart. Jeremy wasn't likely to be back for nearly a year with his ever more demanding medical education. 

By later afternoon Stu was feeling up enough to seek his sad Son. And, mercifully, the sky was cloudy enough to not to blast his still recovering eyes. There he was, breaking down a rather large mass of a stump with wedge and hammer and axe. 

Stu watched as Jeremy wailed away at a knot, intent more at pouring his frustration into the effort than actually getting it reduced. Finally, the younger Hopps had to take a breather.

"Hi Dad." 

"Think you've killed it enough?"

"Never enough." 

Stu really looked at his Son. A big, robust buck, well on his way to being a doctor. At his age Stu had been well mated with a near dozen kits already, working for his Father on the much more modest Hopps holdings of the time. Hard work, but a simpler time. But as he understood the realities of a Doctor's evolution, it would be a good number of years before the boy could enjoy anything like a normal life and even the possibility of the simple comforts of a family of his own. If he ever did. 

He recalled an old line for a cartoon of all things, intended as a joke, 'you knew the job was dangerous when you took it'. He suspected the boy knew that going in, but this summer had been a distraction, and now the full reality of his sacrifice had reasserted itself. 

"You're going to make it." 

"Thanks Dad. I know that. There are just some costs." The Buck looked out at something unseen, then back to his Father. "I just wish it wasn't others who have to pay." 

Stu left his Son to finish off the stump. Then a 'phone call. 

"Thanks, old Bunny."

"Pablo?" 

"Celeste is staying after all. Whatever's going on, she seems to be getting over it, sort of."

"Great news." And it was. He seemed to have reached her after all. 

"Wanted to call you earlier, but figured you'd need time to recover." Said with a knowing air. 

"You heard about that." Stu had a reputation for being a near teetotaler and there was going to be a lot of talk at his expense about that. 

"Yeah, and you'd better not make a habit of it. There were some clowns that wanted to thump you while you were out. It was a couple of my boys who 'discouraged' them." 

That was an ominous turn. Stu knew there was still some hard feelings, especially as Alvin had done real time for his part, as well as the casual bigotry that he was no longer a part of. 

"I owe you big for that, and I don't expect to get that kind of stupid again."

"You'd better not." 

Later that evening, he got another call.

"Hello Mr. Hopps." It was Celeste.

"Hello, Dear. I heard you're staying after all."

"Yessir. And thank you for talking to me. More time to think helped too. After so many moves and changes for so long, the idea of leaving, running away really, was not so hard to consider. But I'm beginning to feel like I'm getting roots here now. That the 'Burrows is becoming home." 

"I'm really, honestly happy for you in that. Will you be okay? With the rest?"

"I hope so. I guess things will be a bit - raw - for a while, but I'm hoping that I'll have friends to help."

Stu was reluctant to ask, but, "Would you want to see Jeremy before he leaves tomorrow?" 

"No." a pause, then, "I don't think it would do either of us any good right now. But tell him that I have no regrets."

He could tell she still had pain. But he felt she meant it about no regrets, and that was a good thing. 

"I will." Then he thought of another thing. "When you feel up to it, the little ones miss the Fluffy One." 

The little yip of a laugh, slight as it was, let him know that she was going to be okay after all.


	6. Chapter 6

"Did you hear about what happened at the school?" Celeste overheard some of her coworkers. "There was some kind of sex vid with one of the students, and when she was expelled, there was some kind of general walk out. Its crazy." 

In short order, it was the talk of the shop, though no one had anything solid beyond that small tidbit.

Celeste got on the local social net to see if there was anything more substantial. What she found was crushing.

Someone had posted a rather graphic sex video that purported to have Riina, the Platinum Fox and mate of Bailey Hopps, engaged with partners, including Nick Wilde. Celeste became furious as she could see that these were merely composited images. 

But, according to several accounts, the school seemed to have preemptorally expelled her even before she was asked about the situation, even though the video was clearly a fake. Then, when the Kettu and Hopps families confronted the principle, he refused to reconsider the decision. Finally, the Hopps called for a walkout of all their kin, and many more students, and even a few teachers walked out in solidarity. 

Celeste was both shocked and furious. She still didn't really know Riina, but she did know the character of nearly everyone around her, and dared not image how terrible this must be for the families. 

As the word, or rather, innumerable variations and interpretations began to circulate through the town over the next hours and days; public reactions began to filter in to the shop. 

The informal pack of Wolves in the shop were uniform in their dismay, their social status in a town like this was all too closely associated with other canids in particular and predators in general. That they were mostly single younger fellows made them doubly suspect as well, obviously they were all sexually 'predatory'. 

Others in the shop were less invested with the issues and were simply attracted to the graphic video. 

Celeste found herself coming upon a couple customers, rabbits, sniggering with the black bear Paul over what they'd seen on line. "... and then he had that huge knot going..." Their chatter trailed off as they saw the furious little coyote with the really big open-end wrench, as long as her arm. 

"I'd expect no less from some pervy little bunnies, but you, Paul?" 

The bear gulped and his face crumpled in shame. The rabbits bristled, "Who are you calling a perv? We know about you and that Hopps boy, prey-chaser." 

Celeste snarled and advanced on the pair, she so wanted to indulge her desire to see exactly what some good vanadium steel would do on some bunny skulls. Fortunately, one of the wolves intervened. "Celeste, you know how important it is to maintain good customer relations." He gave the quaking bunnies an appraising glance, "Besides, you know we have a strict 'you kill it you eat it' policy here, and I don't think either one of these would very appetizing."

Later she got a further admonishment from Pablo Jr. He too was concerned about maintaining good customer relations, especially with the local Sheriff, as it wouldn't do to have one of his better mechanics in lock-up. They might exploit her and he'd lose his service with them. 

She promised to be better in future. 

As it became clear that it was a cruel hoax, there was some sympathy for the Fox, but an awkward tension over the 'Hopps Revolt', the family led walk out of the school. While the Hopps clan was well known, it was not universally loved. Much of it was simply a matter of differences, big and small. But there were also those who resented the disproportionate influence a large family had in local society. And a few were rather put off with the 'unnatural' proclivities of some of them. 

Unfortunately, even with the clarification of the video as a hoax, once the idea of foxes as hyper-sexed degenerates fixed in the minds of some, no further facts would dislodge the initial impression.

With all that swirling around, Celeste could not help but think about the Hopps. Jeremy was now less a bright pain, reduced to a small bittersweet ache. But without regret. She found she was missing the little ones more and more. She, of course, had no maternal instincts at all, but she so missed, so desired the nuzzle of little bodies around her. 

Then there was the intent to contact the Hopps to assert her support to them. It was only a small gesture, but was what she could do. She figured she would let the worst of the likely crisis condition at the Hopps compound subside for a few days before coming over. 

As always, she was walking out to the farm. While she had access to vehicles, she still preferred the hike, as it gave her time to think. 

A van pulled up beside her. 

"Say, Ms. Whitefoot, I'm goin' ta see the Hopps. Use a ride?" It's the baker Fox, Gideon Grey. 

Celeste considers a second, perhaps it was already rather late and if she tried to walk it, it would be well into the night before she got there. "Thank you very much, Mr. Grey."

"Heck, call me Gideon. Reckon you're out to the Hopps for the same reason?" 

"To offer my support, yes, Mr. Grey." 

He smiled; too many youngsters were too quick to get too familiar. This one was all manners. "Yeah. It's an awful shame, that fake video getting everyone all riled up. I know old Stu is fit to be tied over it, and can't imagine what the poor Kettu Girl is going through." 

"Yes." And with that she cringed just a tad. She dreaded to discover how much of what kind of impact her letter had on things from last month. 

"And, by extension, how it's hit us foxes in general. Too many folks are too quick to assume the worst of us. That's what I'm going to see Stu about. Let him know how a few folk in town are getting ugly about me, and about my association with him."

"That's terrible!" Celeste was shocked. But at the same time, she wasn't going to mention the various incidents at the shop. 

Their arrival was welcomed at the Hopps home. Gideon was ushered though to see Stu while Bonny greeted Celeste.

"How are you doing, dear?"

"Well enough. I hope I haven't come at too bad a time?"

Bonny made a face. "It has been 'not good' the last few days. I suppose you've come to check up on us?" 

"More to offer what little support I can." She made a sad little smile, "And, I guess, to get a new fix of little ones. I find I miss them, need them, now more than ever." She looked away, "Jeremy is a fond memory, but I can let him go." Then turned back with a brighter smile, "But, I dunno, find I long for the kits. They're so special." 

Bonny returned a more knowing smile and clasped her paws, "They will be delighted to learn the Fluffy One is back." 

As it was getting towards evening, some of the smallest were already abed, and with the small residual tension in the air, others remained close to their parents or siblings. But a few hearty little beasts had discovered her and couldn't get enough. And an added feature, Celeste was putting in her winter coat and was getting extra fluffy. 

She settled into one of the play spaces in the warrens and had the dual comfort of snuggling and a bit of grooming. With the new winter coat coming in, the summer coat was going out, and she now had the help of a half-dozen little sets of paws, either with brushes, or tiny claws, to help rake her out. 

As word spread, she got some additional visitors, mostly parents, who were glad to see her back. Though careful not to alarm the little ones around them, they also shared their concerns about the current situation. As the crisis was only a few days old, there wasn't a lot to say really, no one had a real feel for how long or how far the impact was. 

A bit later Bonny came back in to check on everyone. She found the little Coyote with a few kits around her, some simply blissed out in her coat, others full on asleep. One little fellow was studiously attempting to rake out her tail, though had to contend with kin cluttering up his work area. 

Celeste was stoking a head or two, gently massaging ears as well. She saw Bonny, standing off, surveying the cuddle. "Evening Ma'am."

"Just checking up on you, but had a thought. It's getting late, so instead of you trudging all the way back into town, why not stay over here? We can get you back in plenty early in the morning." 

"That would be wonderful." 

However, the ride back in the morning was a tad awkward. It was Jenny who offered to do the deed and she wanted to talk, vent more like it. First, it was a verbal avalanche about the video, the school, and the prejudice and stupidity of mammal kind. Then it was gushing praise of foxes and canids and preds in general. Had it been anyone else, Celeste would have suspected some kind of over-compensation. 

But, finally, it was about Jeremy, and Celeste had to cut her off. "I'm sorry, but I'd rather not go into anything about him. We had our thing and now its over." She tried to smile, "I know you think less of him for how it played out, but there wasn't a 'good' way out at the end."

She could tell that Jenny was the type that actually believed in fairy tale happy endings, but that simply wasn't the case there. "It was no one's 'fault', unless you think we never should have gotten together in the first place."

Jenny made a sour face. "Oh Glob no, you were the best thing to come into his life in way too long." She reached over to grip the Coyote's arm in reassurance. "I just can't stand to see my Baby Brother do stupid stuff, especially when it involves others. And you're too nice to have the world dump on you so." Jenny let go of her arm a bit self-consciously, a detail Celeste very carefully did not notice. 

Back at the Hopps compound, Jenny again thought about her idiot baby brother. How could he ever give up that sweet pup? But a new crisis in the warrens, those little ones who had not gotten their new taste of the Fluffy One had caught scent of her, especially with the shedded coat that hadn't been swept up quickly enough. 

Bonny and several of the young mothers then had to contend with several score petulant kits who had been so cruelly neglected. They had not discussed any return engagement for her, but it seemed that something sooner rather than later might be needed to maintain some peace. A few 'phone calls and the situation was saved. 

And Zootopia's Finest was on-hand to help.

Nick pulled up to the front of the boarding house where Celeste lived, and there she was sitting on the stoop with a Wolf, a handsome older silver Lady. 

"Your carriage awaits," He smiled as he went around and opened the passenger side door. 

The little Coyote, still a fraction taller than him, trotted up. Then with a little curtsey, "Thank you, my good Fox." 

They both shared a little giggle. 

"Sorry I missed you yesterday, but with that labyrinth of a place, someone could go missing for days and no one would notice." 

"I'd guess you're here for the investigation?"

"I wish. But I'm dealing with being investigated. While formal charges against me have been dropped, I'm still a person of interest to the investigation."

"That's crazy! Even though the video was faked?" 

"Well, being a fox and all..." 

Celeste growled. 

"No. I'm here to be a helping paw. Poor Riina is really devastated."

Celeste cringed just a bit at that. 

"So, how are you nowadays?"

"I'm okay. My job keeps me busy."

Nick smiled rather broadly, "The way things were carrying on, you'd better be careful you don't get roped into a second full time job as the resident fluff." He sort of huffed at that, "I've been reduced to merely 'Unka Nick', instead of OMG, its the fluffiest thing in the world! I mean, I only get a dozen or so of the little monsters latching on to me at a time nowadays." 

"Sic Transit Gloria Mundi, my dear Nicolas." Then, considering a moment, "I would have thought Riina would be top fluff now? Or at least up until now?" 

"Well, I think she would rather have only one bunny's attention. That, and how many teenagers would want to have to deal with a mob of kits?" 

"Funny, I never would have thought about kits at all until this summer."

Nick gave her a knowing smile. Then made an observation. "Looks like they're going to have a lot extra of you to get into with that coat." 

"Yeah, I get really full in winter." She plucked at a bit of shedding summer coat. "I've always had a long coat for a coyote, just awfully thin and scraggly in summer. My Uncle had a really short summer coat, almost looked diseased, but would poof out almost as much as mine in winter."

She looked over at Nick, "I bet your Judy loves your pelt, looks so yummy." 

"What's this and the 'yummy'?" Nick half-groused. "Seems like every other female looks at me like some kind of edible arrangement." 

Celeste laughed to herself about a rude 'some parts are edible' joke.

Nick got a more serious look, "I hope you're not getting any direct flack from all this?" 

"Just a little stink-eye or lewd comment now and again. It's the wolves in the shop that are getting the worst of it. They're mostly young bachelors, so have the double whammy of sexual and literal predators."

Nick groaned. Then lightened up, seeing the Hopps compound in the distance. "Got your loins girded? They know you're coming this time." 

Celeste began to smile, then realized what a whole warren full of eager bunnies really meant. "uh, Nick, will you avenge my death?"

"Only if I survive the stampede."


	7. Chapter 7

"uhm, Celeste? Celeste?"

"Oh, I must have..." There was Celeste, holding a very young bunny, obviously just concluding a very thorough tongue wash. She was in the Hopps nursery, being the big floofy for the littlest kits while their siblings were nursing. She must have dozed off, but the washing? 

Jasmine had been the one to wake her, and now regarded her with bemusement. 

"Did I? How - ?" The Coyote was clearly confused.

"It's one of those little instinctual things a lot of young mothers do when they're dozing or zoning out." She picked up her now very clean son and the discarded diaper he once had on. 

"But, I'm no mother. I mean, ya know." Celeste was very flustered. 

Jasmine and the other couple of mothers present all gave her beaming smiles. "All the maternalism is rubbing off on you, silly pup."

Celeste could only blush. 

One of the older Mothers, Ruby, added, "You know, if you're not careful, you might even starting nursing." 

Celeste recoiled at that, "What?!"

"Ruby, don't scare the Pup." Charlene chided. "Every once in a while one of the girls will start lactating on her own. Otherwise it's a hormone supplement thing. Sisters or Aunts helping with the feeding, or foster Mothers."

Celeste was incredulous. "Wow, I didn't know."

Ruby considered, "No one in the warren is currently doing it, but it's not that unusual, especially in such a communal setting."

The Mothers all noticed Celeste's unconsciously put a hand to her own breast. "Do you have any thoughts about a family?" Ruby asked.

"Me?" Celeste frowned. "I've always been just a mechanic, ya know. I've never done - girly stuff. Wouldn't even know how." 

"I hope it's not too soon to mention it, but was of the impression that you and Jeremy were being very boy and girl together." Charlene warily observed. 

Celeste grimaced, more in an inarticulate mash of emotion. Mostly just awkwardness, not really knowing what she felt. "I guess I never really thought of it in those terms. We were just two together." It was never sex-as-reproductive urges, or so she thought. Just intimate shared pleasures. 

Then she began to think about how much she now seemed to need the sensation of those little bodies next to her. 

"I guess I really don't know what I'm about. It's like being a 'grown-up', like you are supposed to have this magic transformation from child to adult. But that doesn't really happen. You just keep on keeping on. New things come up, and you learn how to deal with them." 

There was a shared nod with that. 

"But I've never had anything that I'd guess was a 'family'. I shared a living space with my Uncle for as far back as I can recall. He kept me fed and sheltered, taught me to read, encouraged me to be a bibliophile for that matter, we always had books around. Taught me to be a mechanic, a machinist, how to play pool. But never anything like, I don't know, 'family' stuff. Or gender role stuff for that matter. I knew about the biology, the difference in plumbing, but all I ever knew socially were mechanics, and just thought of them as mechanics, not a gendered thing."

The Does were a little taken aback by that. For them, family was everything, and though not strictly enforced, gender roles and conduct were all part of the day-to-day of life in the warren and beyond. 

"So, the idea of being a 'mother' or having any kind of family just hasn't ever been a thing for me. I have a place to sleep and a job to do..." And for the first time, it really struck her how bleak that limited life was. She shifted herself, picking up one of the little ones for the adjustment, and held her close, as much to comfort herself as the discommoded kit.

The circle of Mothers were beginning to realize too, what for them would be a nightmarish existence of crushing loneliness. 

Seeing the obvious dismay in their faces, Celeste clarified. "It isn't that awful. Sort of." She made a sad little laugh, "Funny, most of what I know about how we Latrans are suppose to behave comes out of books. We're often loaners, and really mated couples are an only sometimes thing. Same thing with families, sometimes very minimal, sometimes as a small extended family, though not as extensive or intensive as a wolf pack."

"But all I know in reality is that after being alone for so long, having a taste of togetherness with Jeremy, and all this wonderful young life around me, has made me aware of what I'd been missing."

"Yes, I can see that. But, about relationships, don't be too quick to get a new 'comforter'. Rebound romances rarely end well." Ruby advised. 

"Yeah, mate in haste, regret forever, or something like that." Piped in Jasmine. 

"You don't have to worry about that. I was ever so lucky to have Jeremy for the time I did." Celeste observed wistfully. "He'll be hard to replace."

"For now, how about a late night nibble?" It was Bonny, the matriarch. She loved so to see her happy young Mothers and their next generations before her. And an added little hitch, the Coyote, the dreaded carnivore, now the love of those same tiny bits of future. 

That any of her offspring might go with off-species mates and not directly contribute to the Hopps legacy was not so much a thing nowadays, as they brought other intangibles into the fold that only made the collective that much better. If only the circumstances between the little thing and her Son had gone different. 

Funny, how the Latrans, who towered over the whole clan, could still evoke the notion of 'little pup'. But she evoked such guileless innocence in many ways, and even with her now luscious coat, was still the slightest of things. Especially compared to the rounder forms of the Mothers around her. Even the smaller Finnish Fox, the beautiful Riina, was more curvaceous. 

Everyone considered the offer with enthusiasm. The Mothers sought some cover; they were nursing topless for convenience in the privacy of the nursery. Celeste needed clothes altogether, as she had stripped down to offer more of her fluff to the little ones. With her new dense coat, there wasn't anything to see, not that it would have been an issue anyway. 

"Can I see how your coat's coming in?" Bonny asked. She was fascinated with the salt and pepper effects within the warm browns and greys, with a slightly darker 'saddle' in the middle of her back. Then her amazing bush of a tail. As she was a bit bigger than the foxes of her experience, her proportionally larger tail was a special wonder. 

Bonny politely stroked her arm; "I can see why the little ones particularly love you for the fluffle."

"Thank you, Ma'am. As we were talking about it, I seem to be getting more maternal, whether I want to or not." 

"Yes, that would be such a terrible thing." Bonny returned in mock sarcasm.


	8. Chapter 8

Coming on the heels of Selaxes' latest installment of Sounds of the Heart, a new Celeste! He says Celeste and friends can now run free of the convolutions of his tale of woe, but obviously there will continue to be some bleed over, as both stories are running parallel. And, who knows, with the whiplash plot developments he's apt to throw at us, there could be some kicking and screaming as characters get dragged into glob knows what. 

She didn't quite know how to react to Riina's gift of an outfit. It was oh so nice, too nice for the routine wear that she was more used to. And it reminded her a bit of something O.Henry might have written, with two individuals miss-reacting to each other initially and then over-compensating to make up for it. 

For now, she'd save it for some special occasion, maybe if she got asked out for something. It didn't need to be a real date, and she was too soon after Jeremy to think of such still, but Paul at work was showing some interest in her, hopefully just as a friend for now. 

Paul. What was it about that name locally? There were three Pauls in the shop, the wolf, the bear, and the Llama. Then there was the local pub, Paul's, with the owner, Paul, and one of the wait staff, Paul, and a couple of the regulars were also Pauls. 

Oh well. With things settling down just a tad after the terrible video business, Celeste had been on hand to be shoulder to cry on at one point when Riina had a little breakdown. But with the broad and deep circle of friends and family to help, the little fox was in good hands. 

On the other hand, the two were hardly BFFs, they had little in common aside from their entanglements with Hopps boys, but she hoped she could be counted on to be there if she was ever needed. 

Getting something approximately regular also meant she could schedule some time as the Fluffy One for the Hopps compound, just a couple times a week for now. And special occasions. With such a large and closely-knit family, group events were common, and parent 'vacation nights', a dance party or some such, needed help for the collective baby-sitting. 

But her schedule was also a bit iffy at the moment, as the fall harvests meant a lot of equipment getting ready or repaired throughout the Tri-borrows. 

Celeste pulled in to the Sward compound, a smaller but going concern, one of the neighboring spreads to the Hopps. The hydraulics on one of their tractors, a venerable Springbok, likely older than she was, correction, older than most of the folks extant around it. As most of these folk had a fair amount of handimammal wherewithal, a service call meant something was seriously dead. 

Even before the rather eventful summer, the appearance of a predator in most bunny compounds would create a nervous wave in the crowd. However, heretofore, Celeste was largely immune, as she was regarded as a rather slight kit or cub and entirely non-threatening. But the various incidents regarding pred/prey relations had heightened an often unwanted and unwarranted awareness and even she got a lot of wary eyeballs as she dismounted the service truck.

She had also become aware of a new social and even political edge to things, she, as a Coyote, had had an affair with a rabbit, a Hopps rabbit, and could be counted as a Hopps ally. And a friend of the foxes in the video. Even though the images were now thoroughly confirmed as faked, the damage had been done for too many folks around the 'Burrow, and she was suspect by extension. 

"So, Hershel, what's the problem?" Celeste approached one of the elders she'd worked for before. 

"Don't work." The old black and white buck deadpanned, then shrugged. "Figure the hydraulic pump's dead, there's a grinding noise and no pressure."

"All at once?" 

"One of the boys was using the machine and wasn't paying attention. Worked when they first brought it out, didn't work later." 

They shared an eye-roll at that. 

"Let's take a look."

The tractor itself was one of the mid-size types, large enough to do some serious work, but not so big as to be unwieldy for the bunny operators. It was old, and had seen some hard use, but was not yet all that seasonally work dirty and looked cared for. But when Celeste saw the hydraulic pump, she knew there was going to be trouble. 

"Where did that come from?" Pointing to the mystery off-brand pump that appeared to be cloodged into position. Worse, it wasn't on the isolated power take off, but a smaller unit driven more directly out of the transmission. 

"We got the tractor from Uncle Don when he gave up his little spread over by Deerbrook. He had all kinds of other stuff jerry-rigged on to the thing that we've replaced with more or less original parts since. We didn't want to even touch this thing, hoping it would last."

"I can understand why." And Celeste crawled in to take a closer look. What a mess. All the fittings had odd thread adapters and a multitude of plumbing joints where one or two would do. One output had a column of elbow joints, used to reach a hose that was a few inches too short. 

"Can you start it up?"

"Sure thing."

It took only a couple revs to hear bad thing and she shouted, "Turn it OFF!"

"Sounds like gears. Let's just hope it's all on the pump and none on the engine."

She headed back to the truck for tools. "I took the chance of bringing a replacement, if you want me to do it. It's a rebuild, but I can get you new if you want." She knew Pablo would prefer a little up-selling, but didn't begrudge economizing. Better for long-term business. 

Herschel asked how much, Celeste had a figure for the work and part. He couldn't help but make a face, but shrugged, it needed to be done. And she could likely do the deed quicker and more reliably than he and his kin might be able to fumble through. 

Celeste had to warn, "That's if it's just the pump. Once I pop that thing open, we might find other damage." 

He could only shrug.

As she returned to the tractor with a toolbox and bucket to catch the likely flood of fluids, she kept an eye on the small knot of youngsters who watched from a little distance. Several were simply waiting for the job to get done so they could get at the various tasks that the tractor was needed for, a few were actively curious to see the fix. Others were just idly watching the show. But she did notice the less than neutral attention she got from a few, and wondered how many of them were Riina's or Hopps'classmates. 

To the technically curious, she narrated her progress, pointing out the whats, whys and hows. Suddenly, there was a cry from the watchers, one of the girls had her tablet 'phone out and was reacting very badly to what she saw. The initial reaction turned into a hysterical shriek and she bolted from the shed, running blindly away. Everyone simply stood there in puzzled surprise at that until she collapsed about fifty yards on and made a momentary awful writhing motion then lay still.

At that the adults on hand bolted towards her, as she was having a shock crisis. In some cases of extreme emotion, bunnies can go into a kind of systemic failure that could be life threatening. While it was more common that they might be literally scared to death, for some, extremes of grief or hopelessness could also trigger the reaction. 

Celeste too recognized what was happening. During her time with Jeremy they talked about a lot of things, including rabbit physiology, outside of reproduction for the most part, and many of the special quirks rabbits were susceptible to. He had explained some of the practical first aid for this kind of situation, not all of it obvious or intuitive. 

She was right behind the elders who clustered around the fallen young doe, not entirely sure how to proceed. Seeing the hesitation around her, Celeste forced her way in. Crouching over the prone figure, she checked for a pulse, fast and weak for the moment, then she balled her paw and ground the knuckles down the girls chest, grating at her sternum. The heretofore limp bunny squirmed with the pain and Celeste gave her a couple sharp face slaps, supporting her head with her other paw, being terrified of hitting her too hard and doing an injury to her neck. 

"OW! Stop!" Weakly but clearly, arms attempting to rise and fend off the blows. Then an outburst of sobs and clutching at one of her kin. 

The cluster was growing with the youngsters then warily approaching but no one had any notion as to what happened until another girl, Mica, exclaimed, "Oh my teeth and whiskers!" Then rushed up, holding out the girl's 'phone. "Tara's attempted suicide. That's what set Jessie off!"

"Tara?" Another girl, Debbie picked up the explanation. "Tara Lagontelli. She's one of those sosh types, little clique of bad girls, and she's the worst, so the tale goes." 

"Jessie, what's up with you and her then?" 

Now recovering, Jessie sobbed and coughed a bit before answering. "We were kind of friends for a while. Not like her little circle. But I knew she was having - problems. All queen bitch on the outside but, I dunno, hurt or something inside. Then she started nipping." 

There was general recoil at all that. 

"You're not using are you?" 

"Around all those horny bucks? No way I'm gonna get that kind of stupid. Besides, its crazy expensive, and booze is cheap." And she did a 'said too much' cringe, being rather under age for alcohol. 

Another adult asked, gently, "So why the reaction, you had us really scared."

The girl shuddered again, "I knew she was getting worse, but I didn't try to stop her or tell anyone. So it's my fault it happened." 

As everyone's attention was focused on the young bunny and to assuage her guilt, Celeste was able to extract herself from it all and get back to work. 

Those poor delicate creatures. 

Removing the pump revealed that it had been poorly installed, with an unnecessary spacer plate that had left only a minimal gear engagement. With all the load on just a tiny fraction of the tooth surface, the teeth had rather dramatically failed, though, luckily, all apparently on the pump side. 

As she set about installing the replacement, she saw Herschel approach. 

"Glad you were on hand to help with that."

"It's not too bad, just the stripped gears on the pump. Properly installed, the new one ought to last as long as the rest of this beast."

The old Rabbit snorted at the deflection. 

"The one to thank is Jeremy Hopps. If I hadn't been hanging out with him this summer, I wouldn't have had a clue." That ought to cover several bases. 

He pursed his lips, recognizing all that she had implied. She finished the job and wrote up an invoice, pointing out he could settle with Pablo at his convenience. He held out his paw and she took it, most Rabbits would find pretexts to not shake, including the practical matter that she often still had oil or worse on her pads. But he didn't show any concern for the grease stains on his furry palms as he gratefully pumped her paw. 

That didn't go so bad. The job was simple enough and Pablo had a new trophy for his WTF hardware collection. But as she drove, she began to think about the other thing. 

Sure she had helped the poor girl. Saved her life? Maybe, maybe not. The rest ought to have figured it out, she just did it first. No big thing. Then why was she shivering with tension? Memories of Jeremy? Doing the right thing? Being so close to a crisis? She knew that many would feel elation with such a heroic act, special accomplishment, something. 

She felt none of that. Maybe it was all social expectation. She saved a life, fixed a pump, both helped others. But the pump felt like a job well done. The girl - only a sense of disquiet. She thought about the Old Ways for a moment, could she have interfered in some Fate? Snatched away Death's prey? 

Or was it the dread of praise? She'd never sought attention. Do your job and keep your head down was her life. 

Her thoughts kept going back to Jeremy. He'd know what to say, what to do. In the moment, that what she really missed about him, his calm wisdom and compassion. 

His warm, velvety body wasn't far behind though. 

Part of her wanted someone to cuddle, to be cuddled. To have another soul close and to comfort with intimate proximity. Going to the Hopps compound for some fluffle time didn't seem quite right. She was the giver for those little ones, but now she was the one in need. 

She shook herself in frustration. She never 'needed' before, not like this. This sense of dependency was unpleasant, a sign of weakness. Well, maybe that was a bit of an overstatement. But it did fly in the face of her sense of self-sufficiency. 

She went back to the shop, and to an unwanted welcome from the whole crew. Social media had beat her back and everyone now knew of her heroic rescue. 

"Come on everyone, I was there and knew what to do and that was that." The little coyote whined in the face of her co-workers. Pablo Jr. saw her discomfort and shooed everyone back to work. 

He was shrewd enough to see that the last thing she wanted was any special attention, not unlike her day-to-day accomplishments of often-exemplary work. She was not one to take praise comfortably, so instead, he asked her about the job, and was amazed and delighted with the glob-awful contraption at the heart of it. 

He could also tell she was a bit distraught over the experience. "Do you need some time?" 

"No. Just some work to keep me busy." 

There was a harvester in bay three that needed a whole new set of hydraulic lines. The machine itself was an antique, or at least what little of it was left after decades of repairs and replacements. It reminded Celeste of the old joke about the beast's favorite axe, explaining that, in the decades of hard use, he had replaced the handle five times, and the head twice.

Certainly there was plenty to keep her distracted and she finished her shift well into the job. Commonly, she'd work overtime to get a particularly fussy job done, or at least to a reasonable break point. But today had been a bit much and she needed the break. 

The wolves had noticed her discomfort earlier on and had largely given her some space. Now that the work was done for the day, Paul was there with a sympathetic face. 

"You okay?" 

Celeste grimaced, "Not so much. Been worse." She considered a moment. "Could you..." Conflicted as to what she wanted and what she needed in the moment, "I could use a hug, if you don't mind." 

Paul hardly needed urging to hug a cute little female, even as he recognized it was simply a comforting embrace. He was young and full of romantic nonsense, but for the moment he was content to take what he could get.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> As I was badly stalled with what to do next and how to tell it, I punted what little I had over to Selaxes for a go. He, in turn , wrote up the bulk of this chapter. However, as there was some problems with converting his text into a form I could deal with, I ended up retyping the whole thing, and could not resist despoiling his prose with my own petty insertions. So, here we go with a really tag-team writing result.

The visits from the Coyote were one of the highlights of not only the bunny kits, but also of their mother and grandmother, Bonny Hopps, finding that she had something of a soft spot for the young female. With the school situation finally having been resolved in Bunnyburrow and the older Hopps children returning to something closer to normal, there was far less bustle in the warren, allowing for more and more enjoyable visits. 

It wasn't uncommon for Celeste Whitefoot to appear a little after lunch for a bit of playtime, giving the smaller kits time with their Fluffy One before helping put the youngest down for their nap time. She had made arrangement with Pablo for split shifts, allowing her to cover full hours morning and night with the fluffle time in between.

Just as she got a pot of tea on he table and a plate of fresh out of the oven oatmeal cookies set down, the Coyote appeared, smiling as she normally did after time with the bunnies, a smudge of baby powder on her muzzle and a twinkle in her eye. Bonny smothered a laugh with her paw as she spied little Abigail, both arms wrapped around the Coyote's thick tail, her face buried in the brush and making happy cooing sounds.

"Abby," Bonny chided gently. "Don't you think you've abused poor Celeste's tail enough for the day?"

"But Mommas! Its soooo fluffy!" The kit mumbled in delight. "An' I jus' wants a little bit wif jus' me and Celestes..."

"Abigail Sherri-Lynn Hopps, I will get my spoon!" Bonny warned in a gentile but firm tone.

With an 'Eeeep!' of surprise, never having earned the dreaded spoon swat but having seen plenty of her siblings and even her grown-up brother-in-law get it once, Abigail ran from the kitchen, her ears streaming behind her. 

Celeste couldn't help the amused smile at the bunny kit's reaction and turned to Bonny. "I really don't mind." She told the older Doe.

"Oh, I know," Bonny said as she poured them both a cup of tea before sitting down. "Neither did Riina or Nicholas until they both had to suffer candy and kit drool in their fur." She dropped a bit of honey into the herbal brew and stirred while Celeste opted for sugar. "So, what was the long face about when you showed up today? Things at Pablo's are alright, aren't they?" 

The Coyote's ears perked up before laying back. "Oh, they're fine, or as much as can be expected. Work will be getting hectic with everyone coming to get their tractors and such winterized."

The Doe raised an eyebrow as she regarded the other female over the rim of her cup. "And?"

"uhmm?" 

"Celeste, I know that look." Bonny said with a softening of her hazel eyes. "What else is bothering you?"

The Coyote couldn't help but let her shoulders slump a little and her tail droop to the floor beneath her chair. "It...it's Paul."

"That young Wolf you've been seeing?" Bonny inquired, "What's wrong?"

A small frown and almost whine sounded from Celeste's throat before she answered softly. "I ... he wants more..." She sputtered. "As in getting serious, like mated."

"Mated? Really?" The Rabbit reacted in some surprise. "I take it that's not what you're looking for?"

Celeste shook her head empathically, her eyes widened. "I like Paul, I really do. But... it's just..." She sighed. "He has this arbitrary sense as to how things ought to be done. Like, there is an instinctual timetable or set of rules. And by that reckoning, we ought to getting ready for some next steps."

She waited for Bonny to say something, perhaps to tell her what she wanted to hear, but the Doe only looked at her with caring patience. Hiding her trepidation behind another swallow of tea, Celeste pressed on. 

"I asked Mrs. Huntsgreen about it after our last date and ... um...She said Paul's young and..." The Coyote's ears turned several shades of pink before settling into the darkest possible blush. "She said that Paul is, um, you know how Mrs. Huntsgreen is... um.." 

"She's to the point, dear," Bonny said with a smile. "She's a tough old Wolf who's more than happy to speak her mind as bluntly as she can." Bonny flashed to any number of rather candid conversations she'd had with the stately silver She-wolf. "That and she plays a mean game of bridge. Likely told you Paul's got his motor revved and is looking for more than some small tail time?" 

Celeste grimaced. "A bit more, actually. You know how wolves, in their own way are as socially dependent as you Rabbits. Less cuddly, but just as needing of social comfort. So the guys at Pablo's have their own informal pack. But, traditionally a pack would be a family, senior parents with maybe a sibling or so, then often their adult offspring to help care for the cubs. But that means the other adults are usually deferring cubs of their own."

Bonny was fascinated with that news, as well as how easily Celeste could revert from such a shy little girl to rather clinical lecturer. She knew that Celeste and Jeremy had had a more intellectual side to their relationship, but heretofore, she hadn't seen that side of her. 

"Pablo's pack is all young bachelors, and without a father figure to defer reproduction rights to, they are all keen on making cubs and becoming the new father. So, Paul is both a horny young male," Then she turned embarrassed little girl again, "And cub-maker wannabe." And then finally frustrated young adult. "And with his arbitrary notions of rules and schedules, it's just terrible." 

Bonny almost chuckled with that. "Poor boy sound like just another rather naive young soul. Not like that's happened to any dumb Buck." Said with a firm bit of been there, done that.

"And now you don't know what to do?" At that Celeste made a dismayed shrug, to which Bonny reached across the short distance and patted her paw before gently stroking the fur on the Coyote's arm. "Has anyone ever asked you what it was that you want? What you'd like to do, or the things that mattered to you?"

"N-no. Not since Jeremy, and it was only thoughts of the moment, not the future." 

The Doe smiled warmly. "I didn't think so," Bonny said before looking at the arm that shed touched and got up, going to a small cabinet near the door that lead to the rest of the Hopps' warren. Without even thinking twice about it, she pulled out a brush and turned back to the Coyote and began working methodically but with a gentile patience on Celeste's fur. "And just what is it that you want?"

The medium bristled brush felt so good as it was dragged through the canid's fur that Celeste couldn't help but shiver a little with the sensation. "Wha... What are you doing Mrs. Hopps?" She asked quietly, a little confused by the casual grooming, not sure what to think of it, but also liking the feel of the attention. 

"I'm brushing your fur," The Doe said matter-of-factly. "Whenever any of my children had something they needed to talk about, especially when they were nervous about it, I found a good grooming helped. Besides, you could use a good brush out after dealing with the fluffle."

Celeste couldn't argue as Bonny was on the third stroke of the brush and had to admit that the attention was soothing. She leaned into the action and found herself opening up, her normally guarded thoughts tumbling out. She told Bonny how she felt a growing connection to Bunnyburrow, to put down roots, have a place of her own, maybe even run, or even own her own shop. Most of all she wanted to live her life the way she wanted to, not the way someone else might dictate. Finally the Coyote admitted that, maybe some day, a real mate with her own cubs might be nice, but she really didn't feel the need to hurry that moment along.

"Then date, go out and have fun," Bonny told the Coyote with a smile and Celeste couldn't withhold her own little smirk at that, given the rabbity vigor into how much and how varied they liked their dating. Bonny began to work on Celeste's neck ruff. "As you yourself suggested, there's no law that says you have to settle down before you're ready. And if Paul or anyone else can't deal with that then they aren't worth your time." 

The Doe saw how the other female leaned into the brush strokes and felt a surge of warmth. Jeremy had told her and her Stuart that Celeste had grown up without a Mother. As far as she was concerned, Bonny was more than happy to fulfill that role as best she could. After all, what was one more to her extended family? Besides, Nicholas and Riina had shown her just how special the predators that attached themselves to her growing clan could be.

"I suspect there are a lot of behavior and traditions that we don't share, but that should never prevent you from feeling like you can't come here, any time you need." the last said with extra emphasis. "That's what family is all about, after all. Or pack or whatever you'd like to call us."

Celeste Clearly didn't catch the full import of Bonny's statement, "Well, you know I never really had much a notion of normal Latrans behavior was, except from what I read in books." A little eye roll. "And though my Uncle taught me the Old Tongue, he only showed me the smallest glimpses of Coyote culture out of the Territories." A flicker of regret at that. "So I'm sort of tabula rasa for much of that, so fitting in shouldn't be..."

Bonny had finished with Celeste's neck and was going to go for her tail, plenty of fluffle damage to address there, when it suddenly went into a vigorous flail. 

Celeste's face and ears were in a state of delighted shock as she regarded the old Doe, "I... you mean...?" 

"Well, I might not be the best at it, but Nicholas does call me 'mom', and you're just as important to this family as he is." Bonny declared with a matronly affectionate scratch to the canid's ear, similar to what Nicholas and Riina enjoyed, and was pleased to she Celeste also react to the bit of attention. 

When Bonny finally got to the Coyote's tail, it was to Celeste describing what she wanted for her own shop.

"You know the old full service station across from the QwikiGas? It had two hydraulic lifts and a grease pit. Even though it's been closed for a good while now, the building is in good shape. It's be perfect for a car service center." 

When the Grizzly Gas closed, it forced everyone to go all the way to Black Brook and beyond for even the simplest service if they didn't have their own family shade tree mechanic on hand. Pablo's really wasn't stocked to deal with regular cars and such, beyond the simplest of oil changes or some such. 

"I don't know if I could own it, but I'd sure like to run it. And beyond car service and repair, I'd like to co-ordinate with the local High School. They barely have anything you could call 'shop' anymore. Pablo's has a deal to get a few kits' paws greasy with heavy equipment, and I'd to do the same for cars."

Celeste's tone became more wistful. "Yeah, and if I could get some real machine shop equipment, I could better work on all the vintage stuff that's rolling around still. Sure, for enough money you can get repair parts for almost anything via the interwebs, but I could repair or fabricate any number of parts easier. And custom work, maybe some performance work too. Those Sylvans can only go so far with their home builds." 

The Sylvans were the family of Deer who were the lead gearheads in the county. While several had gone pro, the rest and the pack of other motor maniacs were very much improvisionists. 

"See?" Bonny said as she finished brushing the canid's thick tail fur. "You have a goal that sounds perfect for you. I think you need to do exactly that because its what you want." 

"Who's doing what they want?" Jenny Hopps asked as she bounced into the kitchen, snagging a pawful of oatmeal cookies. "Wow!" the young Doe said as she flopped into a chair. "Getting the full mom treatment, huh? I guess that makes you an official Hopps adoptee, Celeste." 

"Behave," Bonny chided as she gave her Daughter a light smack with her brush. "And what are you looking so smug about?"

Jenny indeed looked far too happy but took her time nibbling on a cookie before answering. "Well, I found out that Celeste and I have the same taste in music and just discovered that a band we both like is playing in the city..."

The Coyote tilted her head quizzically. Isn't it a bit far to just to go see a concert?" 

"It's two hours by the express, we crash there, then catch it back, and you do have the day off tomorrow anyway, so no fuss, no muss." The Bunny said as she reached into small shoulder bag. "I mean, I could take one of my other sisters along to see Apawkalyptyka, but would they appreciate it?"

Celeste's eyes grew rather large, the two of them were both singularly enamored with the quartet that took classical music and gave it a metal edge. It was one of her favorite bands to listen to when she was working, the Tiger, Badger, Otter, and Red Deer provided just the right sound to get her motivated and into whatever task she was involved in. Jenny had introduced her via old CDs she'd found back when they had just formed as a band while at Zootopia University. 

"Are you sure?" Celeste asked, her tail once more churning the air beneath her chair. 

Jenny smiled and plucked another cookie from the plate. "Absolutely! Got to have my bestie with me, right? And you're practically family..." The Doe gave a pleading look to Celeste, the pup was still a bit uncertain about going out on any kind of bold trip to the big city. "C'mon. Don't make me go on my own."

Celeste looked from Bonny and Jenny and back for encouragement. "I guess I should pack an overnight bag then?" And a cautious smile pulled at the corners of her mouth.

"Yes!" Jenny exclaimed. "Let me go grab some things and then we can go get your stuff before heading off."

"Why don't I just meet you there? I got my truck and it'd save us some time." The Coyote offered as she stood. There was a moment of surprise when Bonny held her arms open in an obvious invitation, and Celeste accepted, her eyes closed in the bliss of maternal affection. "Thank you." She whispered, shivering at the motherly nuzzle to the side of her head.

"Anytime, Celeste," Bonny answered, her arms tightened for a moment before releasing the canid. "You two go have some fun, okay? And call if anything happens! Oh! And where are you two staying? I don't know if I want my girls 'crashing' at just any strange mammal's place. Heavens knows what might happen."

"Oh, we'll be staying with strange mammals alright, Mom." Jenny said with a wicked grin. "I mean, you can't get much stranger than Judy and Nick, right?"

Bonny sat back and smiled for the two off on their adventure. She was delighted that Celeste was finally getting the chance to be a normal girl out on the town. Finding that life was more than a mechanic's manual or library shelf. 

True, it had not been an awful life before, though Bonny needed to stretch to concede that. It would have been a crushing existence of isolation for any bunny, but the pup had managed well enough. Then Jeremy had brought her out into a wider world. 

That brought a warm, though slightly bittersweet thought. Celeste and Jeremy had shared some very gentle intimate times together, a lucky and rare opportunity for the both of them. It was all too easy for a girl's first time to go - less than perfect. Bonny had been lucky with her Stuart, but know of all too many others who had not been so fortunate. And now away from Paul, she likely missed a harsh disappointment. The Wolf was likely not a bad sort, but seemed to have been unwittingly selfish in his expectations. 

She was still thinking of Celeste and her future that night as she and her Stuart began to settle in for the night. Things must have gone well out in the fields that day as he wasn't unloading on her over the details. It was a routine that had gone for octades and she looked forward to the little soothing attentions she could give him while he did so. Not that she would ever withhold her care, but he noticed her concentration and could tell that she had her own something on her mind. 

"So, Bonnymylove, what's up?"

"I had a little heart to heart with Celeste today." Her tone was just a tad hesitant.

"So, we've got a Coyote in the fold now too?" Stuart chuckled. "I'm not entirely blind to all the goings ons. After all the foxes, that sweet little pup will be hardly a ripple. Especially with how much the little ones love her." He let loose a sigh. "Who would a' thunk it?"

He then gave his Sweet Bonny a more critical eye, "So, what's really on your mind?"

Bonny smile, her Stuart knew her all too well. "I was thinking about how you wanted to expand our family portfolio, with some business investments and such."


	10. Chapter 10

"Good news everyone! Whitefoot's is now officially running in the black." So announced Violet. The studious Doe was the business manager for the various Hopps enterprises and she had just popped into 'Whitefoot's Keep Them Running' service center to deliver the results of her accounting.

Of course, after a particularly grueling day of work, the collected labor could only muster a comically downbeat 'yay'.

But Celeste did come up; wiping her paws from the worst of the grime there on, keen to see the paperwork that Violet had flourished. "Is it in ink?"

"Yeap! Just finished the quarterlies and only need your signature before I file them." 

The coyote glanced over the papers, whining at the totals. "With what we've got in the penny bowl, our net would be almost double."

"Well, that's what you get for actually paying for your labor." The bunny snarked back. 

"Well, if your folks hadn't insisted that I hire outside the warren, ya know, no free family help." 

And at that, Celeste looked over to the one Hopps bunny and carburetor specialist, Davy, who pouted. "What? Beasts are getting paid here?" 

"Only if you call old turnips and buggy cabbage payment." Counter-huffed Ed Sward, one of the transmission guys.

"Buggy cabbage? In my day, even corn cobs would have been a treat!" Piped up McGregor, the old goat paint and body beast.

"Mud covered sticks and rocks!"

"Dirt, and not the good kind."

And so on. 

The friendly banter cheered Celeste to no end. Not that long ago the idea of her operating a shop like this was only a faint dream. But with the help of her 'adopted' family, the Bunny Burrow Hopps, it was now a thriving business. Moreover, it was full or part time employment for a good dozen local folk and kept service in town instead of distant Deerbrook and its big retail center. 

"Aright everyone. Since our budget doesn't include overtime, and there's nothing going on that needs it, time to wrap it up and call it a night." Celeste waved everyone off to shut things down for the night. 

Turning back to Violet, "Thanks again and tell the folks about the good news." 

"Oh you bet. Having an investment actually pay off on schedule will absolutely stun Dad."

"Well, that will be your fault." 

"I didn't make the reputation that's kept you busy since day one."

"You can thank Pablo for half of that."

"You shouldn't sell yourself short. I've seen the social media chatter about you and the shop. Your reputation's gone all the way to the big city."

"Kind of a mixed blessing. I've gotten a couple calls from some high rollers looking for some serious work. Major custom jobs or high-end restorations that we just can't handle." She wrung her paws. "Talk of turning down work could hurt."

Violet nodded in agreement. "Well, you just keep on doing what you can. Now that you've passed break-even, there's no where to go but up." Then the Bunny shifted gears, "You coming over for a fluffle?" The Coyote was the great delight for the smallest kits, The Fluffly One. 

"Not tonight. I want to wrap-up some odds and ends, and then just crash."

"So I get to be the bad guy and crush their spirit with the bad news?" 

"It will get you in practice for the cruel abuse you'll need to keep your impending progeny in line." And Celeste pointed to Violet's baby bump. Ted had been a blessing in more ways than one for the emotionally fragile Doe. That she could now conceive and carry her own was a sign of how well the relationship had gone. 

Now a few years in, Celeste had witnessed the progress of not only her business, but the Hopps Clan as well. After the all the drama around them, Bailey and Riina had settled rather nicely. Having Bailey in the Winter Games didn't hurt the Hopps reputation either. Nick and Judy were, of course, making the world a better place in the big city, and no few other bunnies were following their lead in their own ways. 

New kits in the warren were an ongoing delight, but they had the bad habit of growing, and even her crush of cuddling kits had had its first defections. Too grown up for the little kit's stuff. 

Celeste thought about Bonny. The matriarch delighted in managing her grandkits, but always seemed that she'd lost a little something when each in turn no longer needed her attention. Celeste had to admit to a little twinge too, and had to wonder about how she might handle actual motherhood herself. 

Not like that was going to happen anytime soon. After the bittersweet time with Jeremy and the disconcerting episode with Paul, Celeste was a bit gun shy of actual dating. However, getting out with Jenny and some of the other young Does had given her a chance of a social life like she had never had before. She was even a grooming buddy with Jenny and was welcome in some of the group grooming fluffles among the collected Does in the warren. 

But. Jenny was now seeing a Buck. As were a couple other of the Does. Celeste was happy for them and didn't mind being unattached, mostly. She still had her time with the youngest of the Hopps kits and her employees were all but family as well. So, worries about a mate and family of her own were of no particular importance. 

000000

"Celeste. You're needed in the office." What could that be? She was just beginning to get a good shape with the replacement fender on the sheet metal wheel and was loath to stop, but she could see Billy's wild gesturing from the office door. 

"This better be important." She yipped and he gave her a knowing snerk as he stepped out of office to give her some privacy. What in the world? And, oh!

He was a Coyote, a rather sharp looking Dog at that. Dressed rather up-scale business casual, not that she had any sense of fashion. Had an attaché case with him. A salesbeast? 

"Ms. Whitefoot? I'm Emil Llano. I'm a body mammal, vintage restoration and custom work, and I'm looking for a change of scenery." He had a city accent and an air of confident, not quite smug superiority about him. 

Celeste wasn't sure how to react. Normally, since she saw so few of her kind around that her usual impulse was a somewhat juvenile fawning approach, which could come across as rather needy. But this one. She was instead a bit wary. "I'm not exactly looking for another tin beater, Mr. Llano." 

"Well, I can do a bit more than beat tin. Here is some of my work." And he popped open his case to pull out some large glossies. Celeste didn't really intend to look, but caught sight of some familiar images. 

"These are Team Jambo jobs." Celeste was credulous. "And this is from Jimmy Zubek's collection." 

"Yes they are, and that's my metal or glass work in each."

Celeste looked at him askance then held up a digit. "Rather big claims." Then pointing to her computer, "Mind if I check?" 

He shrugged.

A quick on-line search found a lot on Mr. Emil Llano, mostly in terms of his work with various custom design and restoration teams. "Don't seem to stick around for very long with any one group?" 

"I don't have any kind of shop of my own, so need to join up with an established operation for the resources. And I'm not greedy, more than happy to spread the wealth with the rest of the guys. And the effort." 

Celeste poked a bit further, skimming through comments and chats. The rants and raves were all pretty straight forward. No obvious red flags of angry exs or stalker fans. There wasn't a lot of biographical information. Zootopian city boy, confirming the accent, no family noted, no higher education noted. He had a welding certificate but no professional affiliations. 

All the while, Mr. Llano was looking over the various photos of previous restorations and custom work done at the shop. "Some nice work here." He pointed at a '50 Pherd, not the most sporty subject, but the before and after to a show room new looks was impressive.

"We try. But most of our work is, like the sign says, just keep 'em running." Celeste again glanced at the fanned set of photos that he had brought. Custom exotics, special performance types, and restorations of classic high-end beauties. "So, why come out here to the sticks?"

"To escape my own success. Too many customers wanting to throw stupid amounts of money at me for their vanity projects. And all too often changing their minds in mid project or trying to micro-manage the work."

"Yeah, life's tough." Was Celeste's rather dry response.

"Yes, isn't it though." 

"So, why are you out here?"

"I saw some of the traffic about your shop, and figured you could use a bit of a boost."

Celeste did not care for the tone of that answer. "Ya know, insulting the owner isn't winning form for an unsolicited job interview." 

"No. I just meant you could use some extra expertise to be able to take on more ambitious jobs."

"And as we have a shortage of high rollers locally, that sounds like you'll simply draw in those dreaded big bucks customers you claim to be running away from."

"Or, I could say I wanted to help another Coyote entrepreneur?"

Celeste made a sour face. That smacked as a bit specie-ist for her taste. And maybe a bit sexist and condescending. "Or you could tell me the real reason and stop wasting my time."

"Feisty!" And with that, he spread his arms in surrender. "Okay. I'm burned out. Like I said, too many big-ticket projects. And none of them anything I actually wanted to do. Sure, I get paid, but I'm not enjoying the work." He pointed at the photo of the Pherd again. "That's fun. It might not light any fires, but it's still its own challenge." He had a thought. "How long did it take to get done?" 

"It was kind of a nickel and dime job, and doubled as a school project. Took nearly a whole school year to finish."

"Even better! I can pass on my vast knowledge and secret mojo skills to the new generation."

Celeste rolled her eyes. She didn't like his vibe. Too much ego. And more practical matters. "Well, I don't have the budget to take you on, doubly so in that I wouldn't have anything for you to do."

"Things to do? If you've got oil changes or rebuilding carbs, I'd have plenty to keep myself busy. Like I said, I'm tired of the big projects. Just being a wrench jockey or slapping a little bondo on a fender would be fine for now." 

Celeste grumbled. Maybe she'd seen too many bad action movies, but this felt like the jaded master assassin laying low until his archrival sought him out kind of thing. Except with custom cars. And she really didn't need the extra help. At least for right now. 

"Okay, here's the thing. Right now I really don't need and can't afford to take you on in any capacity." She shrugged. "In a month, maybe. I've got several kits in the shop doing part-time over the summer vacation, and when school starts, they'll be mostly gone. And the students that come in for classes don't get to touch customer's cars, only the project stuff." 

"In a month then?" And Celeste noticed something in his tone, and the little wag of his tail. 

"We'll see."

After Llano left, Celeste got back on line to see if she could find more about him. As he wasn't the most flamboyant or media seeking of mammals, it took her a while to find any more about him rather than his work. He had started off at a small shop in the cruelly ironic Happy Town district of Zootopia, the down and out end of the city, reputed to be all but a ghetto for too many marginalized predator species. He claimed that it was where he found himself thought honest productive labor. 

Maybe he wanted to go back to his roots kind of thing?

"Hey, Boss!" Brought Celeste back to the here and now. "We got the radiator back in Swinold's heap." 

"Glad to here it. Pressure test then give him a call." 

"Who was the Dog?"

"Guy looking for work. Way over-qualified to start." 

"Well, I hope you kept his card, ya know." Jackie was one of the summer workers and planned to go on to collage in the fall. 

"I dunno. Had more attitude than I'd like to deal with." 

Jackie shrugged. "Billy said he was a looker, at least for a Coyote." 

"Billy thinks anyone who has the right number of parts is a looker." 

"I resemble that remark!" Billy groused from across the shop bay. "And he was one sharp Dog!"

"Maybe too sharp." Celeste grumbled back. She had very much not been impressed by him as a mammal. Trying too hard seemed to be his thing. And who knows, maybe nothing behind the facade. Anyway, when the time came, she'd rather hire local. 

Of course, two months later, she had not found any credible new hires, even part-timers to fill in for those who had left for school or other seasonal work. So, where was Mr. Llano's card? Or could she find him directly on-line? Ah. There he was.

"So. Mr. Llano. You still looking for work?" 

She was surprised to get an almost immediate answer. 

"Hey! Whitefoot! When can I start?" 

Celeste looked back into the shop. "How about a week ago?" Things had been backing up. While the shop could get the simple in and out work done, more extensive work had fallen on her, Ed, who was the only full-timer on paw, and Davy, who could still come in part time. Too much time-intensive work for just the three. 

"Sounds like fun. I can be there tomorrow, if you'll have me."

"I suppose. I think the local hotel has weekly and monthly rates if you need such."

"Oh? No cot in the back for me to crash out on?" 

"No. I'm afraid not." She wasn't going to mention that there were times when she almost needed to do just that when the business started.

"No matter. I'll be there bright and early. Chao!"

"Wait!" But the connection was closed. She was going to say something about his wages. It wasn't stingy, but it wasn't like full union rates. But she also wasn't charging anything like what a union shop would need to operate. Not that she had anything against them, but the local market was pretty nickel and dime, and she'd price herself out of business if she went that way. 

Celeste wasn't all that entheusiastic about having him come on board. Her initial impression of him hadn't changed. She was dreading that he'd be some kind of prima donna or cop some other attitude. 

She looked around the shop. Well, if he could get into some of the backlog, some level of attitude might be tolerated. But if there was more 'tude than productivity, she wouldn't have any trouble in tossing him.

That next morning when she came in to open up, there he was. Leaning up against a somewhat beat looking '50s pick up, wearing a worn but mostly clean set of mechanic's overalls with 'Emil' over the breast, the Coyote was sipping a cup of take out coffee. 

"Hey, Boss, whatcha got for me today?"

"Well, I'll let you see what we've got." Celeste took a closer look at the old truck. "Kind of a understated ride for a hot shot restoration specialist?"

Emil laughed. "She looks beat but still runs great. Besides, I don't have to sweat the wear and tear when I go pick up parts or scrounge a junk yard."

She had to admit that made sense. She had her own delivery truck, some decades newer but in little better condition.

She ushered him inside and presented some of the wait-listed work. He picked up on a transmission job. "Boss, I see you have this slated for a rebuild. But if it's what I think it is, you'd save a lot of time by just replacing it outright."

"Yeah, quicker, but any cheaper? It looks like it's mostly the solenoid, not any major wear or damage to the rest." 

"Have you ever redone this model? No." Emil shook his head. "Simple in theory, but awfully labor intensive to do and the parts." He held up a paw. "Its a twenty-odd year old unit, of which production stopped fifteen years ago. Parts can be found, but not quickly or easily. And I'll bet you'll find more problems when you dig deeper, then have to track down those parts." 

He shrugged. "By the time you're done, the labor alone will likely be almost the price of the full replacement, then all the costs for the parts you've scrambled for." He then noticed the smile on Celeste's face.

"That's what my tranny guy said too.

"So you're testing me?"

She smirked. "A little bit. But the job still needs to be done. Ed hadn't ordered the replacement yet, so how do you feel about tracking it down as well?"

Emil gave her a big grin. "I know a guy."

Then there was introducing him to the other employees and then getting him in to help with some quick wrap-ups before jumping into one of the trouble projects. 

She relieved that he seemed more than happy to be a team player and there was no task too menial for him to tackle. So, by the end of the day, it was like he'd always been there. 

"Let's all go to Paul's to celebrate the newest member of Team Whitefoot." Ed suggested to universal approval.

"Paul's?"

"Local dive. Cheap beer and lumpy pool tables. But they have a great munchies menu."

"Sounds great."

And it was. Paul's had the typical range of cheap mass-market beers, but a nice selection of some craft micro brews and the occasional import. And a nice little menu of bar food, mostly for herb's with an emphasis on the large bunny population, as well as some tasty omni and pred specific treats. And to top things off, some Grey's baked desserts. 

Emil noticed some beasts all wearing Pablo's work shirts. "Pablo's?" He asked one of the wolves.

"Ah! New in town. Pablo's it the local farm machinery dealer in town. You must be with Whitefoot's operation?"

"Yeah. First day." Emil was just a tad wary. "Anything between you guys and Whitefoot?" 

The Wolf, Jack, chuckled at that in a knowing way. "Haw, the two operations complement each other. Before, most real auto work had to go to Deerbrook or only get catch as catch can service, since we weren't really set up for cars. We're heavy equipment and diesel work specialists."

Jack pointed to Whitefoot across the room. "In fact, she used to work for Pablo, and when she got ambitious, Pablo was one her strongest supporters. And we have some co-operative stuff going between us and the local High School, getting kit's paws greasy with all things mechanical and automotive."

"Yeah, I heard about something like that." Emil seemed impressed. "Very civic minded."

"Yeah. Though largely due to her connection with the Hopps."

"Hopps?"

"Yeah, one of the larger spreads locally. Lots of pull. Judy Hopps' family too."

"Seriously?" That was a name he knew too well.

"Yeah." And Jack paused, giving Emil a look over. "Wonder if she's finally got herself straight? She first got connected by dating one of the Hopps Bucks."

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, them Hopps seem to have a thing for preds. Hooking up with foxes mostly." Said more in puzzlement than distaste. "Then she tried wolf, one of the other guys in the shop. Didn't go all that well. Got awkward and he left a bit later. Not long after that the Hopps fronted her most of what it took to get her shop going." He again took an appraising look at Emil. "And now I'd guess she's finally come to her senses and has you on paw."

"Ah! You're not suggesting she hired me as some boy toy?"

"Why not?"

"First, getting close with the boss never ends well in my experience. And second, she is very much not my type."

"So you say." In good-natured skepticism.

"And I don't think she is all that about me. Likes my work, but gives me the stink eye about me being a big city hot shot." 

"Yeah, what's up with that? Seems like everyone is itching to make it big in the city."

Emil made a face. "A little bit of been there, done that. Too many hassles after a while. Don't mind honest work, but didn't care for the personalities. High rollers who think they own you just by paying their bills."

Jack made a face at that. "Not a problem here for the most part. Humble, honest folk who don't take on airs. And being farmers, even if they're rolling in it this year, they know that it only takes one season to leave them hat in paw."

"Huh." Emil considered. "How about those Hopps?"

"Square dealers mostly. A couple of the youngsters can get cocky, but those who count are pretty regular. If anything, seem aware of the attention the famous ones bring. Yah know, Judy and Nick the cops and one of the younger boys won Biathlon at the Animalympics." 

Emil didn't know what biathlon was, but was all too familiar with the infamous Judy Hopps in the days of the Savage Scare. That she was able to put and end to the Bellwether plot was little comfort to damage done. But if he didn't have to deal with her or too many of the other Hopps, he'd be just fine.

**Author's Note:**

> Bailey and Riina have already been cruelly exploited in previous episodes, but now I'm dragging VariableMammal's Violet and Ted into things. Check them out in her Different Tails collection.


End file.
